Forgiving the Night
by Veronica Chadwick
Summary: Erik is a Dark Hunter sent by Acheron to Savannah, Georgia to stop an evil that plans on leaving the world in a neverending darkness.
1. A New Beginning

_Author's Note: The Dark Hunter novels and characters beolng to Sherrilyn Kenyon, and I am merely borrowing a few of them for a little while. I couldn't stand waiting till the the next novel so decided to write my own story, hope you all enjoy it. And timeline wise, it takes place after Sins of the Night. :)_

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**Chapter 1**

Savannah, Georgia

November 2005

Acheron Parthenopaeus groaned as his cell phone rang. Again. The only time it ceased to ring was when he turned it off. Sighing, Ash reluctantly answered the phone. "What do you want Erik?"

Erik sighed heavily on the other end. "Ash, sometimes you really creep me out. How the hell do you always know it is me before you hear me speak?"

Acheron's lips twitched into a faint smile. "I just do, Erik. Besides that was the whole concept behind caller ID, you know?" A slight pause and a muttered curse was Acheron's answer that Erik felt like a gigantic jack ass on the other end. "Really Erik, what is it? Some of us have things to do."

"Sorry to bother you Acheron. I was just wondering why exactly was I just transferred to Savannah? Aren't there enough Hunters already there? I mean, it isn't even St. Patrick's Day….or the Forth of July…. Or October Fest….so, um… yeah there is nothing special going on here other than preparations for Thanksgiving and Christmas."

"You called to ask me why I wanted one more Dark Hunter in Savannah? I thought we already discussed this?"

"Well, yeah, if you consider 'Erik, get your ass to Savannah in the next three days; you have been transferred.' discussing it."

Acheron sighed yet again and rubbed his forehead. His work was never simple. None of his Dark Hunters were ever grateful and always complained if things weren't to their liking. There was only so much one could take. "Erik. How attached were you to Kentucky? I mean seriously; Kentucky!"

Another brief pause, "Well, okay. You have a point there. Can I ask why my squire and I got smacked right in the middle of a neighborhood that none of the houses have basements and there are more cockroaches out here than would sate a starving flock of bats for a year?"

"You're scared of roaches?"

"NO!"

"Then what is the problem?"

"Acheron, I'm bored!" Erik practically whimpered into the phone.

"Erik," Ash paused to control his annoyance before he said something he didn't mean. Afteraccidently cursing Nick Gauntier months back he had been trying to watch what he says when angered or annoyed. "I know there isn't that much to do in Savannah. Go see a movie or something. Go to the mall. Christmas is coming, by something for your squire. I have things to do, Daimons to kill, futures to protect. I can only do so much Erik."

"Where are you at this time, Ash?" Erik said trying to keep the oldest Dark Hunter on the phone as long as possible, not wishing to go back to walking the college campus anymore. The college was so tiny, there wasn't anyplace for Daimons to hide there. And it was only a little before eight. Gotta love winter: earliy dusk, cold, and nothing to do.

"I'm at the mall with Simi, she wants something sparkly." Simi was Acheron's Charonte demon that he raised since she was a baby. She was like a daughter to him and he spoiled her constantly.

"Which mall?" Erik asked, hopeful to have some company other than his new squire who was so antisocial it was amazing the man actually could talk at all.

"Oglethorpe." Ash relayed. "But, there is a chance we may be done by the time you get here, Simi is going to town with her credit cards, and I think it is about time to stop her before she buys the entire mall and everyone who works there as well."

"Alright Ash, I'll let you get back to Simi. Tell her I said hi. I may or may not see you there. By the way, Armstrong is a small ass college."

Laughing at that, Ash said goodbye as well and hung up. For good measure he turned the phoneoff and tossed it into his black backpack. Simi came trotting up to him with a large cup of colorful frozen ice cream balls.

"Look, _akri_! Dippin Dots! This one is a banana split smashed in to little frozen balls! It isn't as good as Zarek's bean popsicles, but it will do."

"I see that Simi. I'll let Zarek know you miss his food."

"Who were you talking to _akri_? Another one of those lonely Dark Hunters who don't want you to spend time with your Simi? What did they want?"

"That was Erik. He is on his way here now. Why don't you shop a little bit longer so we can go home and check on Alexion and Danger. I wanna make sure they stay out of the throne room next time they think we won't be back for a while. Then we'll come back and crash at Erik's for the next few days till this next 'big evil' passes over."

Simi laughed. "Poor Xirena. She still hasn'tjust dealt with the fact that humans like to get all sweaty together. She told me that when ever she returns to Lexie, and him and Danger get all sappy and stuff that his blood starts to race and heat up like he is in danger so she goes to get him out of danger only to, you know, get him out of Danger."

Acheron winched. "I really wish you didn't have carnal knowledge Sim. You make me paranoid when you start talking abut it. And with really graphic puns to top it off."

Simi sighed and pulled Acheron inside of a gift store. "You know, _akri_. Nicky had no idea I was your Simi. I didn't tell him because I knew that if he knew Simi was special to you that he would probably ignore the Simi, and for that matter, it wasn't even that impressing okay. So please, _akri_, just get over it already. Besides, Nicky was a cutie and all, but he was most definitely no Travis Fimmel."

The girl working the store glanced up from behind the counter at Simi's last statement with shock and recognition in her eyes. "Oh. Travis Fimmel. Now we are talking hotness."

Simi's eyes bulged and she trotted over to the girl, her coffin purse bouncing against her side. "You know who Travis Fimmel is?"

The girl put some paper work away and nodded. "Of course I know who Travis Fimmel is, haven't you seen that show _Tarzan_? Er…well, can't exactly anymore because it kinda got cancelled, but oh my _GOD_. That man was just plain nibbly…" She broke off noticing Acheron for the first time, "… And he looks just like him." She looked back at Simi with awe and jealousy written in her features.

Simi was bouncing in her combat boots and bright pink stockings. "Hear that, a_kri_. She is quality people. She knows who Travis Fimmel is and isn't afraid to admit that he is the best looking man in the world. But it is okay, _akri_, because she also thinks you is attractive too so don't feel left out."

The girl blushed. "I…um, I never said I found him….akri you said…attractive."

Simi laughed at both Acheron and the girl's discomfort. "It's ok…" she looked at the girl's name badge, "Claire. _Akri_ is use to being gawked at, he doesn't mind it much. In fact, he is quite flattered. The Simi on the other hand prefers Travis Fimmel's looks to his though. Not that I check a_kri_ out much, Ew, he_is _my daddy and all."

Claireturned twelve more shades of red. "D-d-d-daddy? He's your father! How old are you! And him? How old is he?" She sounded close to hysterical, must be due to some ind of anxiety or something, but before Simi could answer she turned to Acheron, " How old ARE you?"

Ash took a deep breath and ran a hand through his longish hair which was blue today. He noticed that Claire's gaze had ventured to and now remained on his leather pants. "I look younger than I am."

Clairetore her gaze from that body that was sheer male leather-clad perfection. She looked back at Simi. "Daddy married?"

Simi burst out laughing.


	2. Sparks

Chapter 2

Erik pulled into the parking garage at the Oglethorpe Mall twenty minutes after he had hung up with Acheron, who had sounded annoyed with him. He would call to hang with thetwo other local Dark Hunters, except for the fact that both of them were Saxons and he was Norse. Suddenly Erik found himself regretting the times he laughed at Valerius for being stationed around the corner, literally, from Kyrian and Julian: two ancient Greeks who wanted his Roman ass deader than dirt.

Erik was walking toward the entrance when he saw Acheron Parthenopaeus and Simi coming out. "Ash! You still here, man?"

Ash arched a brow above the top of his glasses at him. He wondered how the Atlantian could deal with the stares from people wondering why he wore dark shades at night when it was so dark out already. If those said people were to see his eyes with out the shades, they would wish he had in fact worn them. His eyes did this weird swirly-silver-iris thing. It was just plain freaky. "Just leaving, but hey since you're here…" Ash pulled a yellow piece of paper out of his pack. Erik always wondered what all Ash carried in that thing, nobody really knew. Well, Simi might.

Erik took the piece of paper. It was an order form for something to be engraved for Simi. Ash had his name on it, but Erik's address and phone number. "Hey, why'd you put my info on this?"

Ash shrugged. "You were bored. I'm here for a few days, I guess I'll crash with you and let Simi keep you company while I sleep."

Erik just stared back at him. Simi shrugged, "_Akri_ turned his phone off again, we are going to your house so he can sleep. You need to take that piece of paper to Claire in an hour, Erik. You'll like Claire, she's quality people, Erik. She's engraving sparkly things for the Simi." Simi was beaming at the prospect of her new shiny things.

"Um, ok. An hour? The mall closes in an hour."

Acheron chuckled. "I would take my sunglasses off to roll my eyes at you for that, but that would make it so much more melodramatic that I won't go through all of that. The store closes in an hour, but the girl has to close the store up which requires paperwork and stuff so she will be there, why are you being so difficult tonight?"

Erik didn't know why he was being so difficult, he usually didn't complain or question at all. He just felt on end and had a bad feeling ever sense he stepped foot in Savannah. Something was about to go down, and he had a feeling he was not going to like it. On second thought, he was in need of a good fight. Maybe he should just get laid, that would take his edginess off. "Don't know. I've just been in a weird mood lately I guess. So I'll pick this up for you and I will see you both later on. See ya Sim, Ash."

And hour later Erik reluctantly went into the little gift shop. He was thankful for the times of the year when it got dark at six, having the mall close at nine left it difficult to ever shop there other wise. He looked around the store to see jewelry boxes, picture frames, clocks…one adorable little blonde girl. She didn't wear any makeup, and she was short; two things that never really caught his eye before. But she had a natural beauty that was refreshing. Her hair, which was darkening now but had obviously been very blonde a while back, cascaded down her back in curls that begged to be touched. She had charcoal pinstripe pants on with a purple sweater. And a little blue apron that Erik figured she was forced to wear by the company. He felt his breathe catch slightly when she glanced up at him.

Claire felt her heart stop when she looked up at the vision that had just entered her store. Standing about six feet two, the man was ripped. Through his black T-shirt and leather pants that hugged muscular, solid man flesh, she could see the outline of every muscle. He had long sandy blonde hair that went to about the middle of his back. The man was a GOD.

She couldn't believe her night, first the blue-haired Travis Fimmel look alike and now this man. And what is with all the leather? Was there a biker thing going down? "Can I help you?" she asked, suppressing a groan because she should have pulled the gate down two minutes ago and now there was another customer. Although at least it was an ogle-worthy customer, which she couldn't really complain about. And _where_ was the hot dude with a daughter that looked like she was his same age? His stuff was ready to be picked up.

Erik walked up to the counter with his eyes fixed on her the entire way. He pulled the yellow paper out of his back pocket and handed it too her.

She was a bit annoyed someone had gotten to deal with him earlier until she saw the name. "Oh, I should have figured with the leather." She didn't know she'd spoken outloud until mister yummy leather dude asked, "Excuse me?"

Claire blanked out for a second. "What? Oh. Nothing, just two tall guys wearing leather pants in Savannah of all places is kinda odd, especially coming in this store on the same day an hour apart. I should have known you'd be with him. Especially considering that he had a daughter who looked his age and couldn't possible be the fruit of his loins. I should have known when he wasn't married, that he was with someone else."

Erik's jaw dropped. Did she just assume that Acheron and he were….ew! "Whoa! Ash and I are friends not lovers, _elskling_. He is staying with me for the next few days that he is in town then he is moving on. Do you assume all men in leather are gay?"

Claire turned bright red. "And that is precisely why I should never talk. Ever." She turned around and grabbed a bag off the counter behind her. "Did you need to check the engraving?"

Erik shook his head no.

She handed him the bag and as he turned to leave she said. "Wait. Did you just call me '_elskling_?'"

Erik turned back around as she repeated the Norse term for sweetheart. "Yes."

"So you are Norwegian? Danish? Of Viking descent?" She asked. Erik could see her eyes flare with excitement and longing as she asked that question.

"Yes. My family and I grew up in an area around Norway. Why? You like Vikings, _elskling_?"

Claire forced herself not to drool when he used an accent to repeat the word "_elskling_." God, she loved Vikings. "I am kind of obsessed with Norse mythology and stuff, I read the term in a couple of romance novels, always wondered what it sounded like spoken out loud."

Erik smiled at her. So, she liked Vikings, did she? He felt a ripple of desire rush through him at that. Dark Hunters were only allowed to spend one night with a lover before moving on, but this one was still a virgin. He could see the innocence floating all around her, but he wanted her desperately. Right then and there. But he knew it was pointless because he was not going to seduce a virgin because she like Vikings. If she had been experienced, however, it would have been all game. Seriously, could a Norseman receive a better invitation? No. Erik inwardly cursed.

"Romance novel, eh?" He chuckled.

Claire blushed again, as if just only realizing she had just told him she fantasized about Vikings through reading sextastic fantasy novels. "Erm, they had interesting plots. You know, they aren't _all_ about sex you know. Some of them have only one sex scene in it and it will be at the very end, and in very little detail."

"And yet you sound so offended by those particular sexless novels." Erik said, flashing her his sexiest smile.

Clairefelt her knees wobble. "Not really. I was only a little offended that you seemed to have taken me for a little sex-book-reading-perve. It's a defense mechanism, get off it."

Before he could even think about what he was saying, Erik asked. "What are you doing for dinner?"


	3. Creatures of the Night

_Author's Note: I still need to go back and proofread better and I should get a chance to do that in a few weeks when the semester is over. For those of you actually reading, There really is more than just dialogue to the story I promise. Right now it is basically my mehtod of getting to know the characters. Some actiony stuff is coming in the next chapter. So stay tuned... er... or something._

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Chapter 3

Claire arched a brow at him. "Did you just ask me out?"

Suddenly quite interested in the tread of the carpet, Erik played with a piece of paper which had fallen on the floor with the toe of his boot. Why did he just ask her to dinner? For one, he had places to go, Daimons to kill, and most importantly as a Dark Hunter he was not allowed to have relationships. Sighing, he forced himself to look back at her. "I did."

He smiled inwardly as she looked down at the counter and started shuffling paper work around. She dumped over the pen cup, which resulted in a pen stampede down the side of the counter and the floor.

"Okay. Throwing pens across the store…. Not sure if that is a good sign or a bad sign."

Claire's head shot up from where she was cowering behind the counter retrieving said escaped pens. She was suddenly really nervous. And scared. Of him. Damn, must be the leather. Strange leather clad guy walks in and just asks out a girl, that has to be freakish. She'd warm up to him.

What the hell?

She'll warm up to him? His mind is already deciding he will spend enough time with her for there to be "warming up!" Could there be a bigger sign that he was now officially screwed. No.

"I… uh, sorry. I got distracted by my sudden case of the klutz-ness. I probably should know better than to go out with leather clad strangers I just met in the mall, but how often do gorgeous Nordic men ask me out. Zoloft be damned." Claire blushed horribly when she realized what she had just said.

_I'm gorgeous? I knew it was the leather. Zoloft? "_Zoloft?"

"I don't know why I just said that. Oh, Don't give me that look, it isn't anything bad. I have social anxiety, so I have to take medication to get away from my 'Oh my God, people. EW! Get them away' normalcy."

Even though he tried to control it, he let out a chuckle. Claire blushed even more. Poor thing. Maybe it wasn't so much the leather thing making her anxious, but the fact that as far as she knows, he's a human. She wasn't going to escape so easily by 'Ewing' at him. Oh, no… She would get over her shyness for him….but no one else. The less tendencies she has to talk to other guys the better for….what the hell! He was doing it again. His thoughts need control.

"It's alright, _Elskling , _a lot of people get nervous around people. They are scary creatures, these humans."

Claire actually snorted. "You say that as though you aren't one." Her face suddenly lost all signs of any emotion. "You're a vampire aren't you?"

Erik felt his heart stop; which always amazed him how it still beat even though technically he died. His tongue ran nervously over his fangs, behind his closed lips. His mind began to ask him if he had slipped up and showed them to her. No, he didn't do that. Was she serious? "Hmm. A vampire, you say? And I'm here to what, suck your blood?"

Claire shrugged, then smiled shyly again. "Nah. I didn't think you were. Too many _Buffy_ episodes for me. And one way to tell when Angel turned all evil was he usually wore leather pants as his signature no soul-Angelus- trademark."

Erik looked at his leather pants, and pondered the reference to it signifying a lack of a soul.

* * *

As they entered the parking garage, Claire halted. "Um… So. Mr. Leather-Clad-Viking-Man, did you drive here in a car, bike, horse, or UFO?" 

Erik smiled. "A UFO would have been cool, but alas, no. I drove that." He pointed to the shiny black Jag parked in the first row of cars. Claire's jaw dropped open so dramatically, Erik thought it was going to unhinge itself from her face.

"A J-J-J-Jag! You drive a Jag!" When he simply nodded she continued with "So, not a vampire, but definitely a drug dealer."

"What? Why does ever one automatically look at me, then at my car and make hat assumption." Erik asked dumbfounded.

"Well. Come on, You are what, twenty something?" She waited until he nodded, not knowing that she was off a few centuries, and then continued, "With hair that is slightly past shoulder level. You are dressed like a bad ass biker and you driver a really, really nice car that a punk, like you appear to be at a first far away glance, couldn't possibly afford with out pushing drugs on the youth of America."

Erik had the opportunity to mimic Claire's jaw's previous action and out do her tremendously. If the human jaw could win an Oscar for falling open in a state of shock, Erik's would have won Best Picture. Then again, he wasn't exactly human anymore anyway, so much as dead and now immortal.

"Well, damn. Not once has anyone ever told me I looked like a punk. Even when accusing me for drug dealing, the word has never been said."

"Well, get used to it. It is one of my top weak insults."

"Weak insults? So you are proficient in insulting people, butit's the_weak_ insults that you brag about?"

"Don't be a smart ass. I can never think of a good one that isn't down right mean until it is too late to say the insult with out sounding like a spaz."

Erik was just about to make a comment about the whole 'smart ass' part of her comment when he felt that familiar tingly sensation. Daimons. He turned and saw three males and one female escorting two mortal women through the parking garage. Damn their timing.

"Did you drive to work yourself, Claire?"

"Yes."

"Good. We'll drive separately, that way you don't have to feel uncomfortable about this leather cald punk getting you."

"I didn't mean it like…" Erik cut her off.

"I know you didn't. I gotta drop Ash's present for Simi off at the house. I'll meet you at the Outback Steakhouse over on Abercorn, okay?"

Claire looked a bit suspicious but didn't question him as she walked off toward the beige Camry parked not too far from the Jag. He made show of walking tot he car and putting his bag in to the trunk to keep her from getting suspicious of him, anymore than she already was at least. What he was really doing was picking through weapons. God, he loved weapons. He pulled out a rather lethal dagger encrustedwith sapphires. It was his favorite weapon, with protective runes engraved into the hilt. He didn't grab anything more. One dagger was all he would need. Daimons were wimps.

* * *

"Did he see us?" One of the Daimons whispered to the blonde woman with them, also a Daimon. It was easy to spot a group of Daimons as they were all blonde. 

The female smiled wickedly. "He did, and he is headed our way right now."

One of the other male Daimons chuckled. " Stupid Dark Hunter. So fucking predictable. Goes to follow the group of Daimons being completely civil only to send his human companion off in the great, big, dangerous world unprotected."

The female Daimon laughed. "Are you sure that thisgirl is the one that is destined to return this Dark Hunter's soul to him?"

The Daimon shrugged. "That's what Stryker said, and I wouldn't question him if I were you."


	4. Oops

_Sorry it took so long to update. I had finals and then work got hectic. New semester started, but hopefully I can update more. Thank you to those who left reviews, it means a lot that someone is actually reading my story ;). I saved a couple of DH fics I found on this site as favoites, I haven't had a chance to read them yet, so be assured I WILL review when I read them. I am just really slack right now. Hope everyone enjoyed Unleash the Night as much as I did coughfinished in under 6 hourscough(despite the lack of Acheron...I need more Ash). Here is a short chapter for now, I hope to right more inthe next few weeks.

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**Chapter 4**_

Claire was at the light coming out of the mall to turn onto Hodgenson Memorial when she realized she left her backpack with her school books in the store. When the light turned green she crossed the street and made a U turn in the parking lot to the Japanese steak house. Being rather late, with the mall closed, there was no traffic and Claire could drive right back into the parking garage.

It's a shame the mall security would write her a ticket for parking on the curb at the entrance to the mall. The store was only two shops in, and parking seemed rather pointless to run in as quick as she would be doing.

It wasn't until Claire was walking back to her car that she noticed the Jag still parked as it was. Was he lying about it being his car? Was he still at the mall? She didn't have long to think about it as a large blur whooshed in front of her face and landed with a thud on the pavement at her feet. Looking down, Claire gazed into the apparently infuriated eyes of Erik himself.

"Why are you still here?" Erik sounded a bit annoyed and a bit panicked.

Claire actually sneered at him. She even had this cute little Elvis lip curl when she did so. Erik shook his head to think clearly. He had killed all but two of the Daimons, the female and a rather cocky male. The human companions had fled when they say him approach with his dagger, thinking him a common mugger. No doubt the security would arrive soon…. Which it was odd that they hadn't when the security building was facing the parking garage.

Realizing he missed Claire's excuse for putting herself in danger, Erik tried to zone into what she was saying now.

"…You know, just because I _just_ met you doesn't entitle you to telling me what I can and can't do, okay. Seriously, I can't go to class tomorrow and not have my texts or the rough draft I finished during my slow ass day at work. And more to the point why the hell are you still here, and if you just fell from the second floor of the parking garage and didn't smush your brains in all over my feet you have _A LOT_ of explaining to do."

Lifting himself up and dusting off his pants, Erik met with her accusatory stare with a shudder. Well this was smooth. "No need to be so graphic! Brain smushing?" He returned a sneer, and he thought he noticed her lips twitch as though she wanted to giggle, but it might be from the fall. He head did feel smushy. "For one, I was jumped after you left, sort of…and then I was thrown by my enemies off the garage. I did not fall. I am far to graceful for falling." He huffed.

Claire blinked. "Enemies? Thrown? Sort of was attacked? And did you just huff at me?"

Erik felt his jaw hanging open, but couldn't make himself close it again. No woman, save a few of the female Dark Hunters, had ever countered him so effectively.

Claire sighed. "Well damn, if you are done getting your ass handed to you by who ever THREW you to an uncertain death which you somehow managed to escape without a scratch on you, I would like to eat some time tonight please. And once we get to Outback then you can tell something that actually makes some damn sense."

Erik's mouth clamped shut, and he vaguely noticed the tic that started directly after. How the hell was he supposed to explain Daimons and Dark Hunters to a mortal girl. At least he would know she as safe.

He walked her to her car and then this time got in his. He could no longer sense the Daimons, they must have took off after the male kicked him off the damn building. He would so pay.

Claire waited till He started his car and he followed her to the restaurant.

* * *

Stryker stood in the alley way as the two Daimons from the group he sent to distract Erik Thorvaldsson came running up to him. They didn't succeed, and as they saw the expression on Stryker's face they knew it.

Claudina took a deep breath and tried to explain herself. "We had him Stryker, he didn't even know was going to be ambushed at her house. How should we know she was going to turn around and come back?" Claudius, her brother, merely nodded in agreement.

Stryker sighed. "So why did you _leave_. One of you could have grabbed the girl and opened a bolt hole and taken her hostage. We could have used the damned Dark Hunter to fuck with Acheron. That bastard, taking my son from me, and turning him against me to spy without me even knowing he was alive. Me; grieving for the little traitorous son of a bitch. Acheron will pay for it. And damned if Erik does not help us, even if unwillingly."


	5. Torture

_Lol ephona, you don't sound like a stalker :P. I got 2 new chapters for you tonight, I am starting to feel like a blushing virgin though cuz I have never written a sex scene and it feels like it is almost time for one. sigh so when the time comes hopefully I can be convincing. Hope you enjoy the new chapters! More Ash coming up!_

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**Chapter 5**

"Wanna hold the vibrator?"

"What!" Claire's head spun around so fast she could have sworn it almost flew off. Erik stood behind her looking amused holding out the pager that would inevitably vibrate when their table was ready. "Oh." She turned and took it from him and put it in her back pocket. "Vibrator, huh?"

Erik tried his best to look all innocent. "Well, that's what it does…." Maybe it was the leather. Or maybe the fact that he just got thrown over the parking garage railing and didn't have a scratch on him that was not convincing Claire of his attempt to be cutesy.

Claire plopped down on the wooden bench on the front deck of the restaurant. The sensation of sitting down altogether after a six hour shift was enough to make her toes curl in ecstasy….. If she could still feel her toes that is. She couldn't begin to imagine how those poor souls who worked retail full time could manage. Her feet protested daily.

Erik watched the near blissful expression on her face when she sat down to relax for the first time that evening. He felt himself growing hard thinking of the faces she'd make on the receiving ends of a different kind of bliss, but a speculative glance from her a moment afterwards brought his mind plummeting back to reality like a meteorite striking the earth. A huge, whopping, deep ass impact of all the shit he will be in now. For one, how the hell does he explain Dark Hunters to a mortal. Secondly, Ash was going to be pissed. No one was scarier than Acheron Parthenopaeus when they got pissed… not that Erik was often scared or anything…

"What?" Claire said, arching a brow at him. "You look like you are contemplating snapping my neck and running like hell."

Erik blinked, regained his composure and sat on the bench beside her, looking at his feet. "I would never snap your neck…" he began, truly meaning it. Who would harm that luscious piece of succulent flesh any how. _Great,_ Erik thought to himself,_ Now you are thinking like a vampire…and having fangs doesn't help escape that much._

"Oh, but you would run like hell?" Claire asked, with a hint of amusement in her voice.

Erik chuckled. "No, I won't. It might be best if I did, but I can't." He said, looking at her now. "It is just, I am hoping you won't run from me when I tell you what I am."

A long awkward silence ensued.

"Um." Claire said finally. "Yeah, that was a real conversation starter. _What _you are?"

"Yeah…." Erik drawled out. Damn he wished Ash were here to help on this. He would at least be able to just spit it out already. "Maybe I should wait till after we eat. Ash would know how to explain it better, he is staying at my place, we can stop there after."

"Ooooooh. Yes! Let's do that! I will go willingly into the house of a man I just met, and who fell from the parking garage unscathed so that no one can here me scream when his ancestry urges of raping and pillaging comes shining through that leather clad hide of yours. No, you are going to tell me right n… OOH! MY ass is vibrating!" Claire leaped from the bench drawing a few amused glances from the others sitting and waiting.

Thank you Frigga for small favors. This woman was relentless.

The Outback steakhouse was reasonably crowded like always. The smells of cooked beef and the slight tinge of animal blood from the raw steak filled his head and his stomach growled in response to it.

Claire didn't speak again until after the waiter, who wasted no time at all at eyeing Claire like she was a choice filet to be devoured, had taken their order. Claire had ordered a steak, medium well, with a side of macaroni and cheese. Erik, ordered his steak rare.

The waiter finally scampered of, taking a far too obvious peak down Claire's cleavage as he leaned over to get the menu. Erik suppressed the urge to kill the man. In a way he kind of shared his sentiments exactly, having his groin painstakingly hard and was actually debating taking a trip to the bathroom to relieve it, considering that he definitely had no chance with her once he told her what he was.

Out of what must have been habit, Claire reached up and began to slowly fiddle with her necklace; a little silver and diamond cross that conveniently hung right in the little cleavage valley peaking up through the V-neck of the black dress shirt she was wearing with her pinstripe pants that really, _really_, complimented her ass.

She was reading the drink menu and twirling the cross around and around. Slowly, and gently caressing right in between two perfect mounds of flesh. Feeling incredibly perverted at realizing that the cross seemed almost phallic hanging where it was, the torture was all too much for him.

"I've got to use the restroom. Excuse me." Was all he said before standing abruptly and walking in long, quick strides to the restrooms. Claire watched him completely puzzled by the restrained tone. She guessed that when you gotta go, you gotta go.


	6. Sleepover

**Chapter 6**

They had eaten in almost complete silence. He asked her a bit about school, he could tell she was a student by the Armstrong decal on her front windshield of her Camry. She was an English major, wanting to be a book editor one day. She asked if he was in college or had gone, he said he hadn't. For one, it wasn't offered in the year 853 CE.

She went to the restroom while he paid, and then they made their way into the parking lot. His phone rang.

Claire glanced at him with a look that screamed "who the hell would be calling you?"

"Hello? Ash! Just the man I needed to talk to." Erik said feeling relief and dread all at the same time.

Ash cut right down to the chase. "Is Claire still with you?"

Erik stopped mid-stride, in the center of the road, to the dismay of a pickup truck that clearly wasn't in the mood to stop for pedestrians when the driver was in the vicinity of steak. "How the hell did you know _that_? You really freak me out, dude."

"Dude? Did a 1176 year old Viking just use the term 'dude?' My GOD. I have heard it all. Anyway, I am about to freak you out more, so please don't ask me how I know because I don't feel like going into detail about it… ever… but there is a swarm of Spathi Daimons hanging out waiting to ambushClaire at her house. I need you to bring her here, to your house. I have sent the other Dark Hunters, Royce andHawkto see if they can take care of them. Urian is also supposed to see what he can discover, despite his cover being massively blown in New Orleans, but he is still useful."

"Spathi? As in Stryker? Here? Why would they…." He saw Claire watching with interest. "What do they want with…"

Ash sighed. "Did I not say 'don't ask me to explain' Erik? Yes, I think I did."

"I thought you meant don't ask how you knew they were there, not why I am now supposed to play guard dog. And this is really cruel of you, you don't know the kind of torture I have gone through…"

Ash cut him off again. "Well then, you will just have to make it less torturous by NOT thinking about it and getting her and your ass over here."

"Alright, but since you command it you get to explain it. To her."

Erik could almost hear Ash roll his eyes. "Whatever. Just do it. Take your car, leave hers. The squires will take care of picking it up. I think there is a tracer on it."

"Why would the Spathi need a tracer…"

"DID I NOT SAY DON'T ASK ME TO EXPLAIN IT!"

Erik cringed, and looked at the cell phone in dismay. Damn, Ash was cranky tonight. You would think with as many women he has seen hit on him in bars and stuff he could get laid easily. But damn did he get moody. Artemis was probably being her annoying little self again. "Sorry. Okay, we will there shortly."

Hanging up, he turned to see Claire leaning against her bumper, arms folded in front of her with a look that was either annoyance or amusement on her face. "We? _We _will be there shortly. I am hoping I am not in this collective we."

"Erm." Erik said, scratching his head.

Claire let out an undistinguishable noise.

"I'm sorry _Elskling_ , I never meant for you to get mixed up in this. Those guys who tried to attack me in the parking garage apparently say you and traced down your car and are wanting to get to you, to probably get to me."

"And what makes you so special that they would want to get to you using me?"

"I can't exactly answer that."

"Why not? Claire rebuked.

"I just…. I don't know how, okay." His face felt flushed. "I've never _had _to. I haven't been in a relationship in a really long time. The closest friend I have is Ash, and he won't even tell me why I have to take you back to my place, but he is going to make sure they aren't waiting outside your house when you do go home."

"My house?" Her face paled. "Are they going to hurt my mom, or my sister?"

"Probably not, Spathi are wicked, but they aren'tbig on involving anyone unnecessary. They ken they will get you alone soon to abduct you."

"Whatever. What is 'Spathi?' You mentioned while you were talking to Ash."

"It's.. They're… I'll just let Ash tell you.." He is sending a friend to pick up your car-they won't hurt it, don't look at me that way. You're to ride with me."

"And If I don't?"

"If you don't I will pick you up and put you in the car. Now, I was told to guard you damn it, so get in the car." He immediately felt bad for raising his voice, but it had worked. She got in the passenger side of the jag and he closed the door behind her.

She didn't say a word until they pulled into his driveway on Arlington. Getting out of the car, Claire said, "My house is a few blocks over. Not as nice as these. A one story. "

Erik looked at her, and saw that her brain mechanics were in overdrive. "And I would advise you not to make a run for it, for I can and will catch you ." She glared at him. "And I would hate for them to hurt you because you couldn't trust me enough to protect you."

"Trust you? Hell! You won't even tell me anything. How the hell do I trust you when I don't know what I am up against. You could be some crazy weirdo family like on the _Texas Chainsaw Massacre_, only the hot leather clad biker version, and as soon as I go in there I will watch my friend get hung on a meat hook, and grandpa will try to knock me over the head with a hammer that he can't even grip."

Erik felt the tic start in his jaw. Luckily Simi chose this moment to bound out of the house.

"Claire! _Akri _said you was coming. Are you really going to spend the night with the Simi. We could have a real slumber party, Claire. _Akri _never let me have one before. But he said I could have one tonight, as long as I promise no barbeques and to obey Erik in his house. I told him that the Simi has no problems with that, except that Erik better not tell me 'no.' I hate the word 'no.' Always. 'No Simi, no barbeque.' Or 'No Simi, don't eat that kitty…'" Claire was looking at Simi now rather oddly. "The Simi would never eat a poor little kitty cat. No meat. Prefer the big jungle cats, now there's a feast." Simi's eyes glittered at the thought.

Erik didn't know how to best explain Simi's bizarre little cat roasting speech, so he ignored it. Surely Ash would explain that Simi was his demon to Claire… Erik _hoped ._

Reluctantly, Claire followed the giddy little demon into his house. Erik took a deep breath and followed.


	7. New Surroundings

_Two new chapters for you tonight. Might be a week or so before I update again, I am neglecting my other fic for this one right now. bad me and I need to right a few chapters for it so it doesn't feel neglected. _

_Thanks for the comments, love to read them. haha. I write Simi all day and possibly longer and not get tired of it. I literaly have to tell myself...ok...enough Simi...other characters to write too... ;)_

_I am also horrible at doing my own proofreading. I will probably re proofread all my previous chapters soon sigh

* * *

**Chapter 7**_

"Let me get this straight." Claire stared blankly at the two men in front of her in the living room an our later. "You two are immortal vampire slayers that have your own fangs and all my worst nightmares are actually true?"

Erik shifted uncomfortably on the black leather sofa. "Well, when you phrase it like that it sounds so much worse than it really is…"

"Rrrright…." Claire leaned back in the matching lazy boy. "And you are really a Viking warrior from the ninth century?"

"Yes."

"Great. That's just great. I have royally jinxed myself all to fucking hell. Out of annoyance I say I was born in the wrong century and was meant to be born at the time of the Vikings, and what do I get? I get a grade A hunk of Viking flesh chucked at me -with fangs."

Ash and Erik both looked down to suppress the grins that that had inevitably caused. Erik was baffled. They spent an hour explaining the Dark Hunters, Were Hunters, and Dream Hunters to her, and because he is a Viking, she is turned on by it. Women. Erik would _never_ understand the way their minds work.

Claire trembled slightly. She felt like she just got sucked into one of the book series' that she loved so much. She knew that a hot Viking descendent…correction-ancestor now to some- wouldn't be interested in her without some weird catch. She sighed. Well do you got any powers?

Erik's jaw went slack again. They didn't mention any of their extra powers bestowed on them by Artemis with her. "How…?"

"If you knew the crap I read, you wouldn't even think to ask it."

"Um… ok. Well I got telekinesis, you know where you can-"

Claire interrupted with a dismisal wave of her hand. "Where you can move things with your mind. What? You are looking at the girl who watched the X-Men cartoon religiously every Saturday morning before going out to play. Jean Grey was telekinetic… and telepathic. Are you tele-"

"No. Thank God. Some things, like everyone's thoughts, are better left unheard."

Ash snorted. At noticing Claire and Erik's gazes move onto him, he replied with a shrug "Yeah, well sometimes it could be helpful in getting what you want." It was directed more at Erik.

"Ash. You really-" Erik started.

"Creep you out. I know." Ash said with a sigh. Then he looked at Claire. "He can also manipuate feelings of pain, he can't draw it out of someone, but he can control whether or not they feel it, how much they feel, or intensify it."

Claire gawked at him and then turned and gawked at Erik.

Ash stood up. He was rubbing the dragon tattoo on his arm that appeared after he called Simi to him to prove to Claire that there was _really_ mystical powers going on. "I am going to go out and take your patrol. Erik, you stay here and protect Claire. Don't let her out of your sight, don't let her leave, and don't let anyone in who is not me or another Dark Hunter or squire. Where were you assigned again? Oh yeah, good ole' Armstrong. I should be a right hit on campus." Ash said with a grin and walked out of the room.

Claire watched him go in silence. The house's walls were all paneled with cedar paneling, and the carpet throughout was so far all a rich burgundy color. The living room was done up with black leather couches and chairs. A huge television screen with surround sound adorned the living room. Superbowl Sunday would be a hit in this place.

The house was a two story with about five or six bedrooms. She began to wonder how close her room would be to Erik's.

She had called her mother when she arrived. Ash was supposed to go check on her and get some of her clothes for her. Until then it was just her and Erik.

Erik and her.

Vikings were known for their pillaging. And damn did she feel overly pillagable right then. She should be appalled that they introduced her into this word. She should be scared. Maybe even hysterical.

She wasn't.

In fact, it made it all more interesting. Plus, Erik _was_ a Viking. God, she loved Vikings.

After ten minutes went by of the utmost silence, and staring at their feet, Erik stood up and held out a hand to her. Reluctantly she took it. Despite the fact that she was rather giddy, she was still quite unsure of what exactly she was supposed to do now.

"Want me to show you to your room?" Erik asked, sounding hopeful.

Claire didn't know if it had to do with hoping to break the awkward silence or hoping for something that her stressed out mind was probably too preoccupied to prevent. Did he have the heat on in this house?

He didn't wait for her to answer, and preceded to pull her towards the stairs. He legs felt feather-light, and as they went up the stairs she almost fell. As she felt herself about to tumble backwards, two strong arms wrapped their way around her. Her next half coherent thought was that her body was pressed tightly against him.

"Are you okay?" Erik asked, brow furrowed in worry.

"Um, my legs are just tired from standing on them all day. I guess they just don't want to work anymore." Claire rebuked nervously.

Erik simply nodded and instead of letting go of her and walking ahead, he stooped down and picked her up and carried her up the stairs. Her arms instinctively found their way around his neck. Her whole body was all too aware of his warm and very solid body that she was pressed against. She was aware of the arm that wrapped its way protectively around her thighs and the other arm supporting her back. If he noticed how exceptionally heavy she was, he wasn't letting it be known.

She expected to be put down at the top of the stairs, but he continued to carry her down the hallway. She tried her hardest not to look him in the face. He was so close. Just a few inches. Oh thank GOD he wasn't telepathic!

They pasted two rooms and he carried her into the third. Their was only one other room in that direction, at the end of the hallway. The door was closed, and she assumed that was his bedroom.

The inside of the room he carried her in still had the cedar walls and the burgundy carpet. The bed was a king sized 4 post made of the same cedar as the walls. It already had the sheets pulled down for her. Her breath caught in her throat. Thee was a black velvet comforter and burgundy satin sheets. A great number of small pillows along with the two fluffy pillows. It was gorgeous.

Erik placed her gently into the bed. "Ash will be back soon with some clothes from your house. If you want to wait on him to change. If not I have some shirts if you don't want to sleep in your work clothes I mean…"

"A shirt would be nice." Claire had a lump in her throat. She was going to sleep in his shirt. She was going to _smell_ like him.

"I'll be right back." Erik turned and walked out of the room.

On impulse, Claire leaped out of the bed to follow him. As she suspected, he went into the room at the end. From the hallway she couldn't see inside of it. Doesn't the man know how to use lights?

She stepped into the room after him. "Hey, if you're telekinetic, couldn't you just will a shirt into…."

The room was set up like a ninth century Viking dwelling. There was a large pile of furs in the corner. He was hunched over a large wooden chest, encrusted with what looked like sapphires. He had iron rings juting out of the walls in a few places, holding unlit torches. The floor was hard wood, so far the only uncarpeted room she had seen. The walls were covered in swords and daggers. Even a few battle axes. Other than that, the room was empty.

Erik turned around slowly to take in her reaction.

The girl was in Viking overload. He suspected in another moment she would bounce onto the fur pelts in the corner and start rolling in them.

He wished he didn't just get that mental image, because it started to manifest in his brain. Only know she was naked in his imagination rolling in the furs with him. He tried to shake it off.

He stood up, clutching a black silk button down shirt in his hands. Claire was afraid that if she moved she would pounce. She kept her feet firmly rooted to the floor.

Erik took a step towards her.

Heat coiled it's way into lower abdomen.

Erik took another step. In two more he would reach her.

Her heart was thumping so loudly that she was certain he could hear it.

Another step. Her breathing was quicker. She could feel every molecule in her body screaming for Erik to take that last step.

He took it.


	8. The Claiming

**Chapter 8**

The silk shirt fell out of his hands in what seemed to be slow motion. She vaguely noticed it though, her eyes were locked with his. They were the color of sapphires, but held within them a lustful heat that she could feel inside her whole body.

She couldn't even comprehend who reached out and touched whom first. One minute they were staring, the next they were all over each other. She had one hand tangled in his hair, the other attempting to tug his shirt up over his head. One of his hands was on the small of her back trying to bring her closer ,despite the fact that she was already pressed hard up against him. His other hand grasped her ass with a desperation that she could feel herself. The mouths were interlocked, tongues doing an ancient dance that natural instinct had kicked into gear the moment they touched.

Claire realized her problem in taking his shirt off had to do with the fact that his jacket was still on. She pulled at one shoulder, and Erik realized he would have to let go of her to remove that article of clothing. He couldn't let her go for even that long. He willed his clothes away from his body and into the corner.

Claire flinched and tore her mouth away to look down. He was completely naked. His clothes went poof! "How?"

"Telekinesis."

He reclaimed her mouth and she moaned.

Her hands moved over his abs, his back, his arms. They moved to his ass, his thighs, then finally he tore his hands away from her to stop hers from finding what they seeked. "If you touch me right now, I wont be able to hold out."

Claire couldn't help but smirk at the power she seemed to hold over him. He willed her clothes away. The smirk vanished into an expression of shock and embarrassment. She tried to cover herself,but he grasped her arms and moved them to her sides. "No. I want to look at you."

And look he did.

"My God." He breathed.

Claire was tuning many different shades of red. "What? Am I too fat?"

Erik met her eyes with a look of shock, like he would ever think so. She was perfect. She wasn't stick thin, she had meat on her bones, but not too much. Enough to savor, enough to devour. "Freya, help me. I want to devour every inch of you."

Claire blushed more.

Erik picked her up again this time with her legs wrapped around his waist. Both her hands were buried in his hair. He had one hand under her ass, and with the other hand closed the bedroom door.

She pulled back to breathlessly ask "Why close the door?"

"Because Ash could come back, or my squire."

"I hope they don't" She said and kissed him again.

He couldn't take it anymore. The room was pitch black, he didn't light any of the torches because with Claire's shyness, he wanted to make her feel more comfortable. He knew she was a virgin, and he was set to make sure she didn't feel the burden of her maidenhead when he took it.

He laid her down on the furs. They were softer than she thought they would be. She couldn't see anything, but she could feel Erik's thighs between hers on the furs. She could feel his hands traveling up from her ankles to her knees. From her knees to her thighs. His hands sadly bypassed where she wanted them the most and moved up to her breasts and claimed them. Her breath left her in a whoosh. Before she could recover from the previous assault, Erik nipped her inner thigh and then kissed it lightly. He spread her thighs wider and then claimed her with his tongue.

It was incredible.

Just when she thought she was going to die from the intensity of it, he pulled away. A finger thoroughly claimed what had been abandoned, and against her will she found her hips moving with the rhythm of his probing.

She felt like her body had shattered. She could see spots of light in the dark room, and would almost swear she was floating.

Just when she thought he was through with her she felt his body move over hers. The room was fairly cool, despite the sweat that had broken out on her entire body. But his body gave of pure masculine heat. She felt her throat tighten once more as she braced herself for what was to come.

She felt the tip of him probing at the her opening, still sensitive from a few moments ago, yet still aching with the need for him to claim her. And claim her he did with one powerful thrust.

It seemed like ages before she opened her eyes which were squeezed tightly, and realized she had bitten her lip in anticipation of the pain that didn't come. He was holding still inside her, letting her get accustomed to the rather large size of him. But she didn't feel the pain that she was preparing herself for the last twenty one years. Then she remembered, Erik could control a person's level of pain. And he cared enough to make this as comfortable as possible. It made her blood race faster, and she began to move against him urging him to continue what he started.

Erik grunted, trying to keep control until she came again for him. Then he would release himself. But damned if he wasn't going to claim every inch of her body. He had felt her stiffen upon realizing the pain didn't come, and then relax when she realized he had done it for her. She had bitten her lip in fear of that pain, the blood he tasted on her lip made his fangs feel longer. He wanted to bite her. He had never wanted to bite any woman, but he wanted to bite Claire now.

His tongue worshipped her right breast before moving to the left equally. Her neck was slowly becoming his undoing. His fangs scraped the surface it and she moaned.

Their bodies pounded together, as his thrusts became faster and more frenzied. The moist heat inside of her squeezing him begging for his release inside of her. Finally, when he thought he couldn't hold out a moment longer, her nails dug into his back and she screamed in release. He groaned into her neck and let himself go. He laid on top of her panting.

After a few minutes, he slide off of her and pulled her against his chest. Pulling a fur over top of them, Claire immediately slipped into a deeply contented sleep.

Erik kissed the top of her head and held her tightly. Their lives were completely wrong for each other, but he would not let her go. Claire was his. Damn anybody to hell who tried to take her from him.


	9. Afterglows

_Greetings loyal readers... there's like maybe7 or 8 of you... the rest seem to meander over and hopefully will stay too ;) Sorry it has been like a month. I have been reading, and reading, and more reading...and writing essays and finally I managed 3 chapters for my other fic and 3 for this one. I might get the 3rd new chapter up tonight, if not it will be this weekend for that one :) and if any words get ran together, has been doing that to my chapters for some reason and i re edit them and they do it again sigh_

_in the meantime I got really, really bored and since I make music videos I made a short DH false trailer for a completely made up HBO tv series (it could work...) you can find it here:_

www dot>insleephesangtome dot>com_ on the trialer page :) (it wouldn't save the actual link so insert the actual periods and you should get the page._

* * *

**Chapter 9**

The warmth of the furs beneath her and his body heat from behind her was enough to keep away the chill of the damp November air that is usual for Savannah. He held her to him, spooned against her. His breathing was slow, but she could sense he was still awake. He seemed troubled.

Claire hoped it wasn't because of her. Then again, she felt rather foolish; she had had a couple boyfriends in the past, and each time it came to the subject of making love, she would ultimately run away from it. Then a real, genuine Viking shows up and she is practically begging to be pillaged. She should be deeply shamed, but she wasn't. She felt a bit glowy actually.

She hated the thought of moving, it annoyed her that she had to be so twitchy. In fact, it is a well known fact - according to anyone in atendence to any slumber party she was involved in - that Claire had a bad habit of tossing and turning. She couldn't stay still for ten minutes usually. She had managed to retain staying still and content for about half an hour, but she was lying on her arm and she felt the tiny pins and needles nagging at her. Plus, her foot itched, and his ankle had her other foot trapped under it. Bloody man, how the hell do women share a bed with someone. How do married tossers and turners survive in a marriage!

Claire's arm got the best of her and she shifted to move. As soon as she even twitched slightly, his arms held to her tightly, as though she was going to run away from him. Her lip twitched into a small smirk; Vikings really were possessive over their women.

_His woman?_ She was considering herself his woman now? Oh good grief, she was doomed. Claire sighed and tried to turn toward him.

"Do you have to move?" He asked into her neck where he had nuzzled her as he tightened his hold on her even more.

"My arm is asleep, my foot itches, and I can't stay still and sleep at the same time. Oooh! An oxymoron."

Erik chuckled and turned her toward him. Her arm flopped like a dead fish, causing Claire to blush while Erik chuckled.

He rolled over on his back and pulled her to his side, her limp arm, heavy with the dead weight of it, laid helplessly across his stomach. He took it in his hands and began kneeding and rubbing it back to life again. "So," Erik said as she began to feel her fingers again, " What is yourfull name?"

Claire pulled her head back to look at him. "Myfull name? Claire Victoria Acacia."

"Claire Victoria Acacia." He said trying out the name.Greek heritege, that was interesting."Does anyone call you by Victoria, or no?"

Her arm was restored to the realm of the living and she hugged herself against him. "No one….well, except for my Economics teacher in high school. He had more than one Claire, so I went by Victoria. But then all he could remember was it was a queen's name and half the time called me 'Elizabeth.'"

Erik smiled. "It's kind of chilly in here. Come, I'll get you to your bed."

"I have to move? I don't think that is physically possible." She said to him as he stood up.

"Of course it is not impossible, _elskling_. I'm going to carry you."

"Oh, in that case, I might manage. I don't exactly have any legs anymore."

Erik laughed and picked stooped down and picked her up. She leaned her head into the crook between his chin and shoulder as he carried her to the next room and put her under the covers.

He turned to leave the room, and heard her move behind him.

"Wait, you aren't going to stay with me?"

Erik turned. She was sitting up, the satin sheet spilled to her lap. Her naked breasts were bright white in he moonlight; nipples hardened by the cool , night air…. among other reasons probably, but he couldn't dwell on it right now. He was already sinking into deep shit.

"I would love to, _elskling_, but for now I have to make sure someone is downstairs when Ash comes back. I will be back later. You need sleep for now, it has been a long night."

He saw her small frown before she shrugged and slumped back under the covers. "Good night, fair maiden." He heard her snort at that, and he smiled. She wasn't lying about the Viking fetish, but he hoped to God that it wasn't the only thing that caused her to come to him tonight.

He should not have taken her. Dark Hunters are allowed one nighters only, and Claire was not a one time girl. She was made to be someone's woman; their wife. To bear them children and run their households, and to be the reason for living for the lucky fool who would win her heart. Unfortunately, he wasn't in the realm of suitable men for her. She was human, he wasn't. Anymore.

It hurt for him to close the door behind him. He had a sudden urge to lock her in the room so nobody but himself could have access to her. His mind had already set a claim to her, so had his body. Whether he liked it or not, he was enthralled by the girl. Thank GOD he wasn't a mated were….. He cringed at the thought of celibacy; the consequences for when a mated female doesn't want her mate. The male remains celibate the rest of her life span (for weres it is a _really_ long time), and the female can do who ever she wants. He wasn't sure that it was really all that fair, but it didn't matter- He wasn't a were, and neither was she.

But for now, his thoughts needed to leave his groin. He had a job to do, but first he needed to take a few minutes online to go to chat with a few pals.


	10. Daimons Are Such A Bore

**Chapter 10**

Acheron twirled his staff between his fingers as he made his was down the street. He could see Claire's house not to far away, and he could sense the Daimons even now. He tried to stay focused on them, but kept getting the nagging sense of knowing exactly what was going on back at Erik's. He already knew he would have to piss off Artemis… _again_… to get Erik's soul back. But he wondered how much longer before her secret came out. He knew of course, he knew so much that it became downright unbearable at times. Knowing was a burden he didn't long to have.

He came upon the first three Daimons who were squatting behind a prickly bush.Ash rolled his eyes. He was walking down a brightly light street, with _blue _hair for crying out loud. Nobody even saw him. It was really hard to stumble across a fight actually worth having in this day and age.

The three Daimons were all male, and all wearing black. Ash tapped the one on the left on the shoulder with his staff. "Excuse me, did you know loitering is a federal offence in Georgia?"

The Daimon's eyes grew wide as he saw who had dared to trespass upon his person. The other two whirled around in surprise.

Four more male Daimons appeared on the other side of the lawn. Acheron sighed. Oh wow, a whole seven measly Daimons. How _ever_ would he defeat them all. He missed New Orleans.

Yawning, Ash twirled the staff; readying it for combat.

* * *

Stryker watched from down the street as Acheron took out the young Daimons one by one. So Ash was going to step in and try to keep the girl away from him? He rolled his eyes. When the fuck was that goody -do-gooder going to learn that he can't be in control of everything? 

He would need to find a distraction for Acheron, and quick. That girl was of rare blood, and he needed her.

With her blood he could set Apollymi free once again, and with her free Stryker wouldn't have to live in Kalosis. He would be free of that temple and then he could track down Urian, that little traitor. He still didn't know if he just wanted his son back, or if he wanted to kill him for _real_ this time.


	11. Unexpected Surprises

**Chapter 11**

Claire awoke sometime after dawn. Her hand was itching something fiercely. She pulled her hand out from under the covers to scratch it. As soon as the cool air hit her she regretted it and dipped it back under the covers and scratched it under them.

She noticed the lack of a certain Viking, and was about to feel bummed that he hadn't returned until she noticed the sunlight spilling in. Of course he couldn't be in there with her.

Claire rubbed the side of her right hand right below her thumb. It felt all sheet creased and agitated. She hoped she could find some lotion around this place.

Noticing that there was indeed lotion on the dresser against the far wall. Claire rolled reluctantly out of bed to use it.

When she squirted the lotion in her hand, however, she realized that her hand didn't have sheet creases at all. Or a rash of some kind. It looked branded. A circle mark was all she could distinguish, her eyes were still a bit sleep blurred. But it was most _definitely _a brand.

"What the --"

* * *

"--the fuck!" Erik exclaimed having woken up to an intense burning sensation in his hand. He knew perfectly well what it was. What he didn't understand was _how_?

Claire was not a were. He could sense them, and she was human in every sense. Human don't get mated like this. On another matter, neither do Dark Hunters!

Erik rubbed his face with his unmarked hand. What the hell could happen to make things worse?

The another thought struck him. Male weres had the threat of celibacy hanging over their head; what happened if the male wasn't an actual were? Would he end up having to live in celibacy for the rest of Claire's mortal life… if she was mortal.

Erik groaned from pure confusion. He reached toward his cell phone, the only thing purely out of place among the other items in his bedroom, to call Acheron. If he wasn't somewhere in the house already, Ash would need to get there pronto.


	12. Wait What?

_And with this chapter I am going to go on super research mode. I don't recall anything being said about the mating with a male who is not of the katagaria or arcadians, so if anyone remembers there being something let me know (and which book it was in). Also I have to look for some historical refrences to Erik's time period, I have some ideas on why he became a DH, but i want to make sure my historcal refrences add up. So it will probably be a couple weeks or so before the next update. At least I got some plot happening finally ;)_**

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Chapter 12

There was a knock at his door before he could dial the number. Before he could respond, Ash stuck his head in. "You awake?" Seeing that Erik was indeed awake Ash stepped in and closed the door behind him. The room was very dark, but Ash and Erik could see each other clearly. "Good. You _are_ awake."

Erik rubbed his face and sighed exasperatedly. "Ash, there is something really damn weird going on."

Acheron's answering smile was a teensy bit unnerving. "Isn't there always."

"Damn it Ash. She is a human. She _smells_ like a human, and yet there is _this_." He shows Ash his mating mark. Acheron walks over to look at it.

"That," Ash remarks as though it is nothing out of the ordinary, "Is a dragon's mark."

"DRAGON!" Erik, who had lost his cool, screeches. "HOW COULD SHE BE A DRAGON?"

"Oh, that." Ash said…. "Well…it starts when a female and a male, presuming at least one is Arcadian and a dragon, fall in love..."

They were interrupted by aknock at the door. "Erik, are…are you awake?" Claire's voice came through the door. She sounded upset about something. Erik could only guess what about. This should be a fun conversation. Oh, by the way… you're a dragon!

Ash lit the torches and took a stance in the corner, leaning against the wall.

Erik used his powers to open the door with out getting up. Under the furs he was still naked, and he was pretty sure Ash did not want to see that, and right now it was probably best Claire didn't either.

Claire, garbed in jeans and a pink, long-sleeved shirt, walked in looking uneasy. She noticed Ash in the corner and swallowed. "Can someone please explain to me why I have a brand on my hand?"

Erik looked to Ash who was using his black T-shirt to clean his sunglasses and was paying them no attention what so ever. He paused in his task to pick a piece of lent off his leather pants, drop it to the floor, and went back to what he was doing_. Oh what a great help you are, Ash._

"Um. Maybe you should sit down." Erik said, his voice sounded shaky and he cleared his throat.

Claire looked about to argue, but she shrugged and seated herself on the chest. She was staring at her lap, one hand nervously fiddling with the mating mark on the other.

"Well, I don't know why but I can kinda explain how…though not _how_ it could happen, because I haven't quite figured that out myself."

Claire glared at him. She wanted her answers. Ash had replaced his glasses and was fingering the blade on a sword on the wall.

Erik felt the urge to vomit. "Firstly, that mark isn't really a brand, so much as a mating mark."

"A WHAT?" Claire had leaped to her feet. Ash walked over to her, put a hand on her shoulder and pushed back into her sitting position on the chest. "It is a mating mark. It only happens when either the Katagaria or Arcadians have discovered their mates, fated to them by the Fates themselves."

"Okay… and what exactly is the Katagaria and Arcadians?" Claire asked Ash.

Erik plopped his head back into his hands. "The Katagaria are animals that are able to take the form of a human, and Arcadians are humans who can take animal form. Apparently, you are an Arcadian that has never taken on your animal traits."

Claire blinked a few times and broke into hysterical laughter. "Oh…r-really..hahaha! And w-what…heehee…a-animal could….I… possibly b-be?"

Ash and Erik replied spontaneously, "A dragon."

Claire snorted and fell off the chest with her laughter. "I'm a dragon! Oh my God! Hahahaha! This is rich, really. Oh…GOD." She had tears from her laughter streaming down her face.

Ash leaned over and pulled her to her feet. "Seriously, you _are_ a dragon."

Claire saw in his face that he was sincere and sobered instantly. "Whoa." She muttered under her breath, and then fainted.

Ash didn't let her fall due to having his hands gripping her shoulders at the time,and was able tocarry her over to Erik andleave her cradled in his lap. Standing back up, Ash sighed. "Well, I hope that taught you not to have sex with the women you are protecting."

At Erik's horrified look, Ash broke into a grin. "I am going to go see the Omegrion. Perhaps he can track down Sebastian Kattalakis for me. Being an Arcadian dragon, he could possibly help explain all this to her better than we could." With that, he left the room, shutting the door behind him.

Erik ran a thumb over her mating mark on her palm. What has he gotten her into. The Omegrion was the ruling council of the were-hunters. Ash was going to pull an Arcadian dragon out of a different time period to inform her of her lost lineage. Great. That would be just...dandy.


	13. While On Neratiti

_A/N: Wow, long time no update. I haven't forgotten this story! I am just at a point of extreme lack of a complete idea of what to do next. I know _**most **_of the later parts of the story already, but I kinda on the spur of the moment went with that last little revelation and now I am trying to make that work it's way convincingly into the plot as well._

_And then there is the inevitable revelation to come, on how exactly Erik became a Dark Hunter. Again, I have an idea, but I am working on the details of the time period I picked for him to be from. I printed out all my chapters already so I can work on research without having to get on the computer (and because I get distracted too easily) I have pulled out my Norse myth books, the Prose Eddas, a book on Viking culture, rune translations (never know when I can use them), and a gigantic cement block of a book about the Sagas of the Icelanders. And I got a couple sites on bookmark. I am going to be able to dive into that bit of research full force soon, but to defend my lack of updates. College sucks, esp. for English majors. _

_This chapter is super short, but hey-- Acheron. Can't go wrong with a little Ash. Bear with me my loyal readers, and _hopefully _you will not be disappointed. ;)

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Acheron Parthenopaeus strolled into the circular meeting chamber of the Omegrion on the island of Neratiti. Within an instant of being there Ash felt a presence somewhere behind him and turned quickly, yet casually, around to face Savitar -- and suppressed a smile.

He was older than anyone knew of, and was the head of the Omegrion. He was the final vote in any dispute among the council of were hunters, and the man had fighting skills that could put any of the Dark Hunters to shame. Yet there he stood. Wearing bright green swim trunks, and a red, orange, and yellow tropical shirt. To top the look, yellow thong flip-flops and matching shades. The only thing missing from the look was a surfboard.

"Acheron." Savitar said it meaning to sound surprised to see him, but the look on his face betrayed that he was not surprised in the least. "What brings you to Neratiti? Hoping to catch a few waves before battling with the Daimons? Checking up on Nick? He's getting slightly ticked off from sitting on a beach and doing nothing. He is ready, you know."

Ash was glad for his shades. Without them, Savitar would see in the swirling silver eyes the regret that pained him on the mentioning of Nick Gautier. Nick was one of the few individuals Ash would have actually considered a friend. And then he had slept with Simi. His innocent Simi.

Ash had unwillingly cursed him. In telling Nick he was dead to him, Nick killed himself after his mother was found murdered. Artemis made him a Dark Hunter out of fear of Acheron's wrath, knowing if she did not Nick's soul would go to the Catholic Hell. Ash shifted his backpack. The weight of Nick's soul was, in reality, light. The weight of Nick's soul in his heart was heavy, felling as though it were the world, and he was Atlas, holding it upon his shoulders.

Little doubt that the shades didn't hide much from Savitar. He knew it would pain him, and that was why he brought it up.

"I need you to call on Sebastian Kattalakis." Ash said, no need to make fanciful small talk.

"Ah, yes." Savitar said raising a tattooed arm to run his hand through his dark hair. "So the little girl, Claire was her name?" Not waiting for Ash's response, Savitar continued on, "...She has discovered she is Arcadian and you want Sebastian to leave his wife and come running to this girl to tell her how to deal with her inner dragon. He'll be peeved you know. He won't say anything about it, or let it show, but he will not be pleased." And as an afterthought, "His wife is pregnant."

Ash shrugged. "It isn't going to kill Sebastian to spend an hour at the most explaining Arcadian history. It is just better for her to hear it from an actual dragon and not from someone who just knows about them. And Erik is about to shit himself, he is so confused and freaked out by it. I think he believes she won't stay with him, and he'll be unable to know the pleasures of the body ever again."

Savitar laughed. "Erik is a pessimist, if ever there was one. For good reason , too. He really never has had the best luck, has he?" Plopping down in a cushioned chair from the round table in the middle of the room, "I will call Sebastian."

Ash nodded in gratitude but didn't say anything. Within the next minute or two, Sebastian Kattalakis walked in wearing an expression of complete neutral detachment. Peeved inwardly, no doubt, but the man knew when duty takes precedence over the joys in life.

He was dressed in an Armani suit with his long black hair pulled back in a ponytail. Ash had to give him credit, he did always make himself look overly decent for whatever century he would be in.

Sebastian came to a stop between Savitar and Acheron, legs slightly parted, arms crossed. He looked fierce, but also like he cold be a bouncer for a high society night club. Or at the Golden Globes.

Belatedly realizing there were no other were-hunters present, Sebastian's stance changed slightly to a relaxed, though not altogether unwary, posture. "Can I be of any help to you?" He hadn't spoken to either one in particular, though he was regarding Ash speculatively.

Savitar stretched. "Yes. Yes, Sebastian, you will be going with Acheron to meet with a young lady who has just been mated to one of the Dark Hunters."

Sebastian's brows rose slightly. "Oh, is there any particular reason why I have been summoned to speak with her?"

Acheron ran a hand through his now blood-red hair. "She is an Arcadian dragon. She never took on any of the animal characteristics, and only just discovered her lineage due to her mating mark."

Unconsciously looking at his own marked hand in response, "Well that _is_ interesting. I will speak with her."

"Awesome." Savitar said, springing to his feet. "Now, away with you. I am missing all the good waves because some girl is freaked out because she is a tiny, little dragon." He waved his hand and Acheron and Sebastian pulsed out of the chamber.


	14. The Fates Are Cruel Bitches

Claire paced Erik's bedroom. This was not happening. She accepted he was a Dark Hunter, or whatever it was. She excepted there were these Daimons which were like vampires, but she could not accept that she was a dragon.A _dragon_? As in firebreathing, wing flapping, scale-ridden dragon?

Erik watched her from his bed furs where he insisted he'd stay for a while. She knew he was not wearing pants, but seriously, it was no need to be shy about it. She could tell that he was about as freaked out by Acheron's announcement that she was a dragon as she was.

Clairehad come to lying across his lap, and at first was pleasantly surprised to be there until he reached to smooth the hair from her eyes and she caught sight of that mating mark-brand thing. She had literally leaped away from him faster than he, with all his Dark Hunter skill, could react to.

"You know, you should get dressed. Acheron will probably be back soon and you are lying around naked." Claire said matter-of-factly.

Erik shrugged. "So. Most Dark Hunters are from ancient civilizations that have no qualms with seeing warriors meander about naked."

"If you haven't noticed, I am not from an ancient civilization and I am not used to men lying about naked while other men who are just as unbelievably attractive come in to discuss matters of a supernatural nature with them! I feel like I am stuck in the middle of a very odd gay porno!" Her voice was raising, and she felt the increasing urge to shriek at him.

"I assure you Acheron and Sebastian would not care. And it is most assuredly _not_ a gay porno. Sebastian is married, and Acheron...well he has some weir thing with Artemis, I believe."

"Whatever. Is Artemis supposed to be a Virgin?"

Erik shrugged. "I think you have her confused with Athena."

"Artemis, Athena...they both start with_A._"Claire plopped back onto the wooden chest and contemplated which of Erik's weapons would kill him the best.

After a long moment of awkward silence Erik shifted uncomfortably. "You are staring at that battle axe with far too much intent for my liking."

"I am just admiring it."

"Not for the mother of pearl inlays, I'd wager."

Claire sighed. "So, what exactly is this whole mating thing? It seems shady if you ask me."

"The Fates are cruel bitches. They match people, or mostly just the Weres but they can mate with humans as well, and those people are destined to be lifemates."

Claire effectively rolled her eyes and snorted as she pulled a bronze javelin off the wall and tested it's weight in her hands. Erik tensed wondering what she was thinking of doing with that now. It was not a considerably heavy weapon, that particular one at least; the gold one still on the wall was far heavier. He saw her arm muscles strain slightly, but she kept a firm grip on it. What was it about a woman holding a weapon that turned a man on? Why did Norse weaponry have to be so phallic? Gods, she could be preparing to stab him through the heart and he's thinking about sex. He shook all those traitorous thoughts away and stood up, letting the furs drop away.

Claire looked from his exposed lower abdomen to the javelin and obviously had similar thoughts to his. Crossing to the chest beside her he opened it and pulled out his leather pants. He then plucked the javelin out of her hands and put it back on the wall.

"What? I wasn't going to hurt it." Claire said innocently.

"Sure you weren't, _elskling_."

"Don't try to sweet talk me now, damn you." Claire crossed her arms and sneered at him. God lord, would Elvis ever envy that upper lip.

"What?" Erik asked, abashed. For as well as she took the whole Dark Hunter's exist speech the night before, she could not accept that she may or may not be a dragon, and that they were mated. He wouldn't let himself consider how many Dark Hunters have recently been freed. If he even thought that there would be a chance for him and Claire, his focus on the job would fail. Besides, she obviously wasn't taking it well; what good would it be to be mated if they didn't get along?

"How did you become a Dark Hunter?"

He stiffened. "That is something I do not wish to discuss with you."

Claire shrugged. "Nice to know that the Fates decided to mate me with someone who won't talk openly with me." She waved her mating mark in his face.

Erik was saved from having to retaliate by a knock at the door. It opened a bit to reveal a young man about Claire's age, with dark brown hair in a pony tail and deep green eyes. His squire, Noah, had returned from where ever he had been hiding. Seriously, Noah was never anywhere to be found it seemed like.

Noah gave Claire an interested glance before he saw the unimpressed look Erik was giving him. Noah opened the door all the way before heleaned against the doorframe. "I thought you might want to know that I closed all the shutters in the house."

Erik yawned. "And why were they not closed before? Thought I wanted a bright, sunny view, did you?"

Noah rolled his eyes. "You usually sleep all day, and contrary to your beliefs, I do not like sitting in the dark all day."

Erik scoffed. "You aren't ever really here!"

"I live here too!"

"Boys!" Claire interrupted, causing both men to give her offended looks. She gave them both irritated looks in return. "Well you _are_ bickering like children." Focusing on Erik, "Like you couldn't close the blinds when you got home last night."

"Exactly!" Noah threw his hands up for emphasis.

"Oh, fine!" Erik said, even more offended. "Side with him even though you just met him."

"I will."

Erik gripped her shoulders and had to force himself not to shake her. "It isn't my fault that you had to find out about yourself this way." His eyes pleaded with her to see it, but she was still too much in shock of it all to be rational about it.

"Maybe not. But this," She held her mark up again, Noah, noticingit, looked at her handand then to the matching one on Erik's and hismouth fell open comically. "This is your fault. I am twenty one years old, Erik. I am not ready to worry about who I should marry or breed with, or any of this."

"No one is asking you to marr-"

"It might not mean it out right, but the Fates pick two people, creatures, and decide who is their true mate? How can someone possibly turn their back on that knowing that they were meant to find each other? How?"

"One has an average life, and the other is destined to fight evil and live in darkness for eternity; that's how."

Claire shook her head and walked out of the room.

Noah sputtered, eyes locked onErik's hand. "Don't let her leave the house, Noah. Acheron and Sebastian Kattalakis are coming to talk with her, but someone's trying to kill her…or something. I don't even know anymore. It hurts to think."

Noah looked like he was suppressing a smart ass comment, and headed after Claire. Erik was left alone to find himself deep in thought and memory. He saw the hurt on Claire's face mingle with the hurt from long ago on his wife's when she discovered what he'd done to betray her. He was worthless then, and now he was only going to repeat it all over again. A man cannot change what he is. Though he went from human to Dark Hunter, a Dark Hunter is what he was. He had a code to follow, one of which was to never fall in love. What use was a mate if he was forbidden to care for her other than a charge to protect? Damn the Fates, the Norns, and any other force that had a hand in his fate.


	15. Seeing is Believing

"So, how did Erik get you into all of this mess?" The young man named Noah asked her as he inconveniently stepped in front of her to block the front door.

"Move or I'll breathe fire on you." Claire said, not amused.

"You'll brea- fire you said?" Noah looked confused, but he didn't budge.

"Supposedly I am some long lost line of Arcadian, or something-another, dragon. Now move."

"You're a _dragon_!" Noah exclaimed, looking highly interested in _not_ moving.

"Acheron says so, but I have never breathed fire, or seen scales on my body anywhere, or felt the need to eat anyone."

Noah was trying, and failing, to refrain from laughing. "Holy shit. Erik has like no luck. He gets transferred out here on a whim by Acheron, and I really don't think Artemis wanted the transfer, but he was moved nonetheless. And now, oh my God, poor Erik. He is mated to an Arcadian. He is like the first Dark Hunter to become mated to a Were!"

Claire gritted her teeth. "Oh, yes. Pity to the big, bad Dark Hunter. At least he is used to weird things happening to him. I, on the other hand, only just discovered I wasn't exactly human."

"Oh, you're human alright. You just have half of a dragon's heart. And you will have a super long life span."

"Not helping."

Noah stepped away from the door to draw Claire into the living room. She found herself pushed back into the leather couch before Noah sat down on the coffee table in front of her. "Seriously though, until Erik and Acheron find out what the hell is going on, you are under their protection."

Claire groaned. "What about my job and my classes? I have a life too you know?"

"Of course you do. You will just have a superhuman body guard while you go."

"Erik cannot go out in the sunlight."

"No, but Acheron can."

"But I thou-"

Noah cut her off. "Ash is different. He was the first Dark Hunter, and well I guess he got endowed with more than they wanted to give to the others. So he has more powers, and privileges, and he can be a tad bit scary, but overall he is a cool guy. He would never let an innocent get hurt… if he can help it."

"Again with the not helping."

Noah laughed. "Thirsty? We got Pepsi and beer."

Arching an eyebrow, and leaning back into the cool leather, "Pepsi, please."

When Noah walked out the room Claire leaped to her feet and made a beeline to the doorway only to run smack into a wall of steel. Upon coming to her senses , she discovered that it was a body. A male body, belonging to a man she'd never seen before. Claire gasped and backed up.

He was tall with long dark hair tied in an old fashioned queue. He had green colored swirls tattooed on the left side of his face, yet he was dressed in what appeared to be an Armani suit. This must be the supernatural hit man come to kill her for knowing too much. So much for safety in the home of her protectors.

"I don't mean to be rude, but… who the hell are you?" Claire asked after she'd regained her composure.

"Sebastian Kattalakis."

"Oh."

At that time Acheron strolled into the room witha can ofPepsithat hehanded to her. "Are you ready?"

Claire gave him a speculative stare as she took the offered Pepsi. "Ready for what?"

She didn't get to answer. Before she could comprehend she was in a large field with Acheron and Sebastian.

"How?" But that was all that she could get out before Sebastian changed from a man into a very large, red and black dragon before her very eyes. Greenish-golden eyes gazed at her with lizardesque slits as she promptly backed into Acheron in her panic, dropping the unopened Pepsi can in the process.

"Holy shit." Claire said as Ash steadied her and took a step away from her to break the contact. "He's a damned dragon."


	16. Gonna Need A Heftier Security System

_As you can all see, I have returned. I hope to put a huge dent in the storysoonso check back often this month :) I know that a few of the last chapters were not that great, and I apologize for that, I hope that I can get back to how I was writing in the beginning. And don't forget reviews are encouragement for faster writing ;)_

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Before Claire was fully recovered from her shock she was back in Erik's living room, holding her Pepsi, standing between Acheron and Sebastian (now fully in his human form again) and Noah who was arching a brow. 

Noah coughed suddenly and gazed at the three of them suspiciously. "I heard of you guys popping out for a quickie once and again, but that was like absurdly quick."

"What? Who popped out for a quick-" Erik came in, pulling a black, button down shirt on and stopping abruptly at the sight of Sebastian Kattalakis standing within five feet of Claire.

Noah spun around at the sight of him and covered his heart with his hand. "Oh, great gasp! He is awake in the daylight hours! Is this the first sign of the apocalypse?"

"Could be." Acheron said, smiling at his how his crypticcomment caused everyone to turn to him aghast. "What? You think all Dark Hunters are going to suddenly be mated to a dragon? How many dragons still live in this time period? None. Know why; it is risky and they don't like being chased down by military. Yet we have here a genuine Arcadian dragon,the last in alost line to be exact, and Sebastian will be quick to tell you that actual Arcadian dragonswans are not verycommon on the population scale; they have diminished in a big way. So before you and your squire have an insult flinging contest, Erik, consider that as soon as any Arcadian or Katagaria slayers send out any feelers for their enemies, they will now be able to sense her because she is mated. Her scent will attract them to her. The Arcadians will want her to breed with, the Katagaria will…well, they will want to kill her in very brutal fashions I prefer not to think about right now, but you catch my drift don't you?"

Ash took a breath and sat down on the sofa, propping up his feet on the coffee table and placing his hands behind his head before continuing. "Because she is from a long lost line of Arcadian Drakos, the animal within her and those before her, remained dormant until someone awoke that beast because he couldn't keep his pants on."

Claire blushed profusely and Erik's jaw clenched. Ash smiled in his all knowing way and went on with his one-way conversation. "The thing is, she is Arcadian, but her powers were untapped. She is going to have to get them together before she is found out, or else she will not stand a chance if the slayers get to her."

Erik, who had never gotten around to buttoning his shirt, crossed his arms and glared at Acheron. "Okay, and if you knew all of this then why did you drag Kattalakis here?"

Acheron took off his shades and pierced Erik with those swirling silver eyes. "Because. She needs to tap into her Arcadian powers, and she needs someone who can help her do it."

Erik's jaw dropped open dramatically. He took a step toward Acheron. "Now see he-"

"Hold it Barbarian man." Ash held a palm up in a halting motion and Erik ceased to move toward him. "It isn't going to be in the way that you are thinking, although I am told Arcadian dragons do have heightened senses during certain…activities. He is going to simply help her adapt to them for the next few days. No biggie, so quit acting like a love sick sixth grader."

"A love sick sixth grader?" Erik sputtered and realized he was mobile again. Crossing the barrierhe marched to about afoot away from where Acheron sat and leered at him. Ash didn't look amused. "She shouldn't have to learn all these new powers and things so suddenly. She was shocked enough to discover that she was an Arcadian, but now she has to suddenly learn how to use these long lost powers she never knew she had? I can protect her, Acheron."

"Oh, you can protect her?" Acheron sat up straight. "And when the slayers come materializing into your house in broad daylight to grab her and shimmer away before you can say 'holy shit, I should have listened to Acheron for once in my damn life but I am a bloody Viking and make my own rules,' She will be gone, you will be stuck indoors until nightfall, and Claire will be thoroughly raped, dead, and/or married off to some random, very horny dragon."

"Damn it, Ash. A Daimon in the middle of a football field could escape _you_ in the amount of time it would take to say that!"

"Nonsense. I'd be smart enough to kill said Daimon while I spoke aloud to myself."

Claire growled. "Jesus. Do you _all_ bicker constantly? What about me. Maybe I don't want to tap into any unknown powers, or be mated, or be under any of your protection. I want to go home and get ready for work. I have classes I have to attend. I have a damn life to get back to, so can we finish arguing over which one of you gets to baby sit me so I can return to it, please?"

Sebastian who stoodsilently through the entire conversation at this point chuckled and placied a hand on her shoulder, paying no mind to the much chagrined glare coming from Erik. "It's going to be all right, My Lady, you only have to put up with us forthree weeks. If you do not decide to claim your mate at the end of that time, the mark on your hand will fade away and you can comfortably forget all about Erik and this world altogether. You will still have your powers of course, but who wouldn't want mind control and the ability to transfer your body from place to place at will. Good stuff."

Claire looked up at Sebastian, the markings on his face still threw her, but they didn't look that out of place with the Armani suit. He was a strikingly handsome man, but she didn't feel attracted to him. Looking at Erik her mind reeled with confusion. She wanted nothing more than to run to his arms and seek comfort and hide from all the confusing information being thrust at her, but more than anything she hated being cornered. And being told she had only a handful of days to decide to commit for life to a man she just met, regardless of how much her body screamed for her to accept him, she didn't like being told what to do and when to do it.

"It's the beast inside you talking now." Sebastian whispered in her ear. Claire watched Erik's face turn vividly red as Sebastian leaned close to her to talk to her privately, though she was cetain that Erik and Acheron heard every word. "The beast doesn't like beingcornered and it is controlling your emotions. If you want to consider the matters at hand fairly, you have to be able to control it."

Claire gapped. "How did you know I was feeling that way?"

Sebastian tapped his temple with a wink. "I can see vaguely into your thoughts, I could control them if I wanted to. Erik's as well. I could make you both claim each other as mates right this minute, but one of our rules is that when it comes to women, they must chose. That is why the mating process is so cruel."

"How is it cruel that the women have a say in it?" Claire asked.

"Well, usually when mated the couple hasthree weeks to claim each other. If the female decides she doesn't want her mate, her mark fades and she moves on to marry and even breed with whoever she wants."

"What if the male decides they don't want their mate?" Claire said, carefully avoiding Erik's eye.

Sebastian smiled at her knowingly. "Well, it is highly unlikely. Even if the male dislikes their mate, they will still try to sway the female to accept them. You see, little one, when a male is mated his mark never fades, even if the three weeksare up and they are not wanted. Until their true mate dies, they are forced into celibacy, and cannot even be aroused by anyone else. It is a fate worse than death to most men."

"When you said 'usually' earlier," Erik said suddenly, "What was meant by that."

Sebastian shrugged. "Well it has never happened before,a Dark Hunter and a Were. Congratulations Erik Thorvaldsson, you are the guinea pig. Care to volunteer to see if you are effected or not?"

"As you are aware, Kattalakis, Dark Hunters are forbidden to have relationships. So even if she did want me, I am screwed. Erik turned his cold glare on Acheron. "I'll be in my room."

"Go brood, Barbarian man." Ash said in mock cheeriness.

Noah snorted. "Brood."

Erik smacked him in the back of the head as he walked off, muttering, "I liked you much better when you wanted to be antisocial, Noah."

"I was never antisocial. You just refused to have any form of conversation with me, so I ignored you out of spite. Get over it."

Claire rolled her eyes at the bickering. Any other day she would have laughed at it, but her mind was so heavy with her new burdens that she didn't know what she was going to do. Erik was right. She could chose to accept him all she wanted, but Artemis would never allow him to accept her. Ugh, where freewill when you needed it. And when did she become Fate's bitch?


	17. Katagaria Slayers

_A/N:Firstly, I apologize for the HUGE error in the previous chapter where I said that there was a one week time period for Weres to claim their mates when it is actually three weeks. I fixed it yesterday but didn't have this chapter quite done yet then. My mindkinda failed me there. Got some action for you this time around, yay! Enjoy the chapter._

* * *

Acheron stretched his long limbs and slowly rose to his feet. "Alright, after that depressing exit I am going to depart. It is getting late, and Daimons will be out soon. Sebastian, until we can figure out what exactly is going on, help Erik keep an eye on Claire."

"And what exactly _is_ going on Acheron?" Sebastian asked.

Ash shrugged and then groaned as his cell phone rang. He pulled it out and flipped it open. "Yeah?" Ash sighed heavily into the cell phone. "It's called discretion for a reason. Well just convince them that it was a movie set or something? Look, I got Spathi Daimons and dragons in Georgia; I'll have to call you back later. Bye." He hung up and tossed the phone violently into his backpack. His presence reeked of tightly surpressed menace, which made Claire's nerves tense in wariness.

Sebastian arched a brow. "Spathi? Here?"

Acheron's jaw clenched tighter. "I thought I sensed Stryker in the area last night, and if he is helping out the Slayers, things could get ugly and fast."

"So that's why you are so involved in this." Sebastian said.

Claire looked from one to the other. "Why should he not be involved?"

Noah took the initiative to explain. "The Were Hunters and Dark Hunters do not involve themselves in each other's business. They occasionally ask favors from one another, but they are two separate forces entirely. Acheron has no business in helping to guard an Arcadian from Katagaria."

"But Erik is a Dark Hunter, which makes it his business that he is mated to an Arcadian." Claire rebuked.

Acheron smiled. "Very astute, doll. That is one reason I am involved, yes. The other being that the Daimons are targeting you for some reason and what they do is also my business. And if Stryker is involved, it is for something big. I would never chance an Arcadian that just hit puberty to try to fight him off alone."

"Just hit- what?" Claire asked, confused.

Sebastian chuckled. "Arcadians and the Katagaria don't hit puberty until they are in their twenties. That is a possibility for why your powers are completely locked up. Normally, your mate would teach you to use them, but he is Dark Hunter and not a Were. So, that is why I am here. Although you will probably depend on help from your mate more than me anyway."

"How so?" Claire asked meeting Erik's eyes, which were heated. She wondered if it was from frustration and wanting to kill Sebastian, or surpressed passion. Heat curled in her abdomen as the second option entered her thoughts. She opened the Pepsi and drank deeply from it.

"Well because…." Sebastian's body stiffened and his jaw clenched. "Feelers."

Acheron had been leaving the room when he stopped and turned back around. "Dragons."

No sooner than the words left his mouth than five very attractive, dark haired men appeared suddenly into the living room. Before her mind could comprehend what was going on she heard herself shriek "Erik!" The man closest to her turned and smiled at her.

"Well I'll be damned. It really is an Arcadian dragonswan, and she's just reached the mating age." He said to the men he came with.

Sebastian took a step in front of her, shielding her from their sight. "Unfortunately for you guys, the lady is already mated."

The one who had spoke originally look baffled at first, then he started to laugh. "What's this, Kattalakis? You have two mates now? We both know that's not possible, so quit being greedy and just hand her over. Besides, if she was mated, wouldn't her mate be with her. Surely it isn't Acheron Parthenopaeus. The human possibly, it would be no great feat to kill him…"

Noah scoffed, but before he had a moment to rebuke, a spear pierced the heart of the cocky man who had just spoken. He looked up at Sebastian and Claire in shock before collapsing.

The other Slayers turned to see Erik's menacing appearance in the doorway, sword in one hand and a double bladed battle axe in the other, prepared to wreck havoc in his own living room. "I'm her mate," Erik growled with his thick, Norse accent sending chills down her spin. "And you are not taking her out of this house." His sandy blonde locks were still loose about his shoulders, and if not for the modern clothing, he looked like he had stepped out of a history book and into the room. Was it wrong that her hormones started to have a fiesta?

One of the other Slayers gapped. "A Dark Hunter? She is _mated _to a Dark Hunter? Is that even possible?"

"Apparently." Acheron said twirling a staff in his fingers. Claire wondered where it had come from. In the next instant all hell broke loose.

Sebastian pushed her out the room into the hallway that lead to the kitchen and dinning area. He yelled for Noah to go with her, which he did, after landing a punch on the closest Slayer who was prevented from rushing after Noah by Sebastian.

When Noah and Claire were cleared out, Erik was attacked by two Katagari while Ash and Sebastian each hadone to themselves.

Erik's opponents drew swords that they had brought with them. They were dressed like something out of the Middle Ages with leather and chain mail. Erik kicked one of the men in the gut and sent him flying into the wall. He swung his axe at the other, who promptly ducked, only to be stabbed in the shoulder by Erik's sword. Erik pulled his sword arm back from the howling Katagaria dragon and plunged it into his chest. He turned just in time to reflect the sword of the first dragon with his axe.

Acheron sidestepped every advance made on him with a bored gaze. He had taken his shades off for the fight for two reasons: one of which was because they were damn expensive, the other being that his eyes always unsettled his opponents, and they were doing such at the moment. Ash moved aside as the dragon charged him again, this time swinging his staff around to knock his opponent into the wall face first.

"Erik toss me your dagger." Ash said in a bored tone.

Erik cracked the broad side of his sword down on the dragon's kneecaps with a sickening crack. When the Katagari went down he went to the lamp table closest to him and opened the drawer to reveal, as appropriate as it was, a dagger whose handle was a silver dragon whose tail curved around the blade which was wickedly sharp - just how he liked his weapons. He tossed it to Ash who caught it and promptly implanted the blade into the dragon's heart.

Sebastian and the other dragon had vanished sometime in the fight. "Where did they go?" Erik asked before noticing his second opponent starting to shift into his animal form. Like his living room could accommodate a full grown dragon. "Oh, no you don't." Erik ran at him and swung his axe, severing the head from the dragon's body.

At that moment Sebastian popped back into the living room. He was bloody and appeared exhilarated from the kill. Sebastian smiledin answer toErik's arched brow. "I transferred him to a deserted landscape so that I could fight him in dragon form."

"I take it you won." Erik said flatly."You didn't attract any attention did you."

"Um…when I said deserted..."

"There's hardly a spot on this planet in this day and age that isn't monitored by the military." Erik rebuked.

Sebastian shrugged. Africa. Sahara Desert. No one saw."

Acheron chuckled. "Yeah and if anyone did manage to see two dragons fighting there, they would only assume it was a mirage."

Erik glared in Ash's direction. "Well, what did he do with the dragon carcass?"

Sebastian sat back in the lazy boy. "I dropped it into a volcano."

"In the Sahara?"

"I was kidding. I summoned Savitar who promptly disposed of it."

Acheron tossed the dagger he'd used back to Erik and made a mock salute to them. "Fighting just isn't the same as it use to be. I remember when it was actually exciting and you actually had that tinge of fear that you might lose… I am going out because you people are making me nostalgic. Ugh." Acheron walked out the room, though they never heard the door open or close. The dead bodies in the room vanished as though they had never been there.

Erik looked back at Sebastian in annoyance. He had come to terms that Sebastian posed no threat to him where Claire was concerned;Sebastian was mated which meant that no other female could appeal to him ever. What worried him was why he, himself,had reacted the way he had, and the fact that Claire needed help from another Were to get her tofind her powerswhile he couldn't help her with that at all. He really shouldn't be thinking these thoughts at all. How could he focus on keeping Claire safe when all he wanted to do was find her that moment and disappear to his room for a few hours.

Then he remembered that Claire and Noah had ran from the fight. He knew Noah would take her somewhere safe, but he had no clue where. Pulling out his cell phone he hit his speed dial and waited for Noah to pick up the phone.

"Did you kill them all?" Noah's voice came through after the first ring. Then he head Noah pull the phone away and say "inside joke" to someone who must have looked at him strangely.

"Yes. All of them are dead, but there could be others coming at any random time. Where are you and Claire?" Erik tried not to sound too worried about her, but it didn't work because Noah tsked him.

"She had to be at work at 5:30 anyway, so we are at her store now." His voice broke into a whisper, " Her boss thinks I am her boyfriend, it is getting annoying. She won't lay off me because I won't leave."

Erik chuckled. "Keep her there. You should be safe as long as the mall is crowded. I'll be there shortly after it gets good and dark."

"No problem." He said before hanging up.

Sebastian was leafing through a magazine that Noah had left in the room about music and rock bands. He looked up now. "Since I have you alone, with no interruptions… I have something I need to tell you."

Erik snorted. "That you want my body?"

"Not bloody likely." Sebastian sneered. "On a serious note, Viking, Claire's scent was untraceable to anybody until you had sex with her. Because she is at the age for her powers to start to form, she is now detectable. The mating mark, which is a surprise to all of us, I assure you, only meansthe next three weeks are going to be like hell for you."

"I'm certain they will. I may or may not be celibate in three weeks. Not like I am capable of having children to begin with, but still… you people have crappy laws."

"You aren't kidding. But are you suggesting that you will not try to persuade Claire to accept you as her mate?"

"I can't ask that of her." Erik said, telling himself that the pain that the realization cause was out of knowing he'd never make love again and nothing else. "Artemis would not allow it. Every enemy I face would target her. I cannot even go out in daylight to protect her."

"Firstly," Sebastian started, "We all have to face that our mates are our one true weakness. Channon , my mate, has been the target of a _lot_ of Slayers the past few years. But I didn't let her go just because I have enemies and I didn't want an Achilles' heel." Sebastian discarded the magazine onto the coffee table and leaned back. "And Secondly, your enemies is the least of your troubles."

"What do you mean." Erik frowned.

"If Claire does master the ability to change forms, she may be at risk. If she gets electrocuted, even shocked by an electric current of some kind, she will turn instantly into a dragon, and as Channon likes to put it, 'You'll have a Godzilla movie.' You might have to go back in time to before Benjamin Franklin's evil ass had to play with his kite."

"Go back in - no. I put the past behind me and wouldn't return to any of those past times ever. And I am sure Claire wouldn't be thrilled to leave her world and everything she knows behind her."

"Don't be so sure without asking her. And also, I can'thelpher with her powers yet anyway."

"What? Why not?"

"Because she hasn't unlocked them all fully yet. To do that she needs to have truly, spectacular, mind-blowing sex."

"You fucking prick. How the hell do you think the two of us got mated in the first place?"

"Yes but she was a virgin was she not? You controlled her pain, I presume, that is one of your powers, right?" With a scowl and a nod from Erik, he continued. "Well, that shield you made for her prevented her from feeling the full extent of your love making and her dragon counterpart hasn't yet awaken. Believe me, when it does _you_ will know."

"Why is she going to snap and claw at me?"

"Hmm…that depends on the type of woman she is in the bedroom,so I wouldn't know. What I meant was the sensation of having sex with a dragon is indescribable. It heightens the two individuals' senses tenfold. And through that sexual energy, her power can be found. The catch is, you two are going to have to sleep together again, and soon. Once the dragon in her is awaken, if she wants you as her mate, it is going to be relentless to making you join with her."

"Can we….have sex without joining?"

"Of course. But it is not going to be easy denying yourselves."


	18. The Calm Before the Storm

**Kalosis**

Stryker rubbed his eyelids in exasperation. It was getting to the point of madness, this constant failure. The Katagariacouldn't even grab the little bitch and pulse out of there. That would have been too easy for them apparently, they just _had_ to stay and fight a fallen Sentinel, a Dark Hunter, and Acheron just to get killed for it. It was ridiculous! Failure after inevitable failure and still Stryker could do nothing of it because Apollymi didn't want Acheron harmed.

Acheron's death would cause her instant freedom, and yet she refused to have him killed. Anyone who dares attempt to harm Acheronwas eviscerated by Apollymi herself for their insolence. Stryker resented Acheron on so many levels, but even more so ever since he stole his son, Urian, from him….

Stryker snatched up the Skora to view what was happening in the human realm and sat in his throne with it. The girl was at the mall with the Dark Hunter's squire. Smiling, Stryker put the Skora down and replaced his sunglasses. There was work to be done. He couldn't wait to march down to Savannah's local sanctuary and tell the Katagari tigers that lived there that Dark Hunters were killing off Were-Hunters now. The thin line of tolerance between Were-Hunters and Dark Hunters was about to be breeched and it would cause an all out war.

Stryker did something he hadn't done for a long while: he laughed.

* * *

Noah fiddled with the pocket knives on display. He was extremely bored, and in a monumental fashion. The gift store, called Remembered... something-another (he couldn't even remember - which was saying something), was extremely small. He had already looked at everything at least five times.

He sucked it up anyway knowing that were he to leave the store for a moment his luck would crash down upon him and more slayers would pulse into the store and take off with Erik's dragon-lady. As horrible as that would be, it would be made worse when Erik went all ancient Viking on his ass and slaughtered him more barbarically than his ancestors could have even imagined. Now Noah did really enjoy pestering the Beowulf wannabe, to the point that he completely stopped talking for a large period of time just to rile the man up, but he enjoyed breathing a little bit more.

Noah snorted. It was a pretty slick way to get past the no relationship policy Dark Hunters had, the mating mark and all. Acheron wouldn't let Erik chance practically being neutered… would he? AlthoughNoah did really want to know if he would be affected the same way as a Were if Claire didn't want to mate with him. Considering that Erik was not a Were gave him a very good chance that it wouldn't change anything, but when all there was a probability why risk it if you didn't have to? He cringed as the thoughts of celibacy continued through his mind; if it were him he'd have already talked her into mating just because he had a hard enough time picking up chicks with his unpredictable job, and celibacy would never suit him well at all.

Claire walked past him with an armful of boxes to put up. No sooner than she disappeared into the storage room did she shriek and drop all the boxes. Noah ran in after her, armed with a pocket knife, to find Claire backed into the wall and clutching at her heart. She was laughing. An amused Ash stood against the shelf containing the office items in black jeans that were ripped at the knees, biker boots, a black Godsmack t-shirt, and his trademark predator sunglasses. He had changed his hair again too.Just past shoulder length, ithad been colored blood red with black streaks throughout. "Just checking in on you two."

"Ash," Noah said trying to sound condescending and failing considerably, "What were you trying to do? Give her a heart attack and save everyone the trouble?"

Ash shrugged. "If I had came in through the front I would have only scared off anyone hiding back here rather than been able to stop them."

"How'd you get through the door? It's locked and has an alarm." Claire asked, finally regaining her composure.

"Little dragonswan," Ash began, straightening to his full six foot eight height and walking past her into the store. "There is no door I can't unlock." Ash had already wiped any memory Erik, Noah, Sebastian, and Claire had of his ability to pulse from place to place. It was knowledge none of them particularly needed.

"Erik should be here soon." Noah said, glancing at his watch and then looking out into the mall. "Hey…uh, since you're here now Ash, can I scurry? I have some things I have to take care of."

Ash had been gazing nonchalantly out into the mall as well. He flicked a speck of styrofoam off the counter and crossed his arms. "If it is to follow the red head that just passed by the store, then no."

Noah blushed. "I… I wasn't…I wouldn't…I swear…I.."

Ash's lips twitched. "You would, but I assure you that that one is soo not worth it."

Claire arched a brow. "Know her, do you?"

Acheron inwardly grimaced as he heard her thoughts on how it would take an exceptionally beautiful woman like that to gain his attentions. She had meant in a purely self-doubting sense more than a jealous one, but still Ash was suddenly uncomfortable. He hated having this particular power. "Oh, please." He said, strained. "It's Artemis in her human form, though what the hells she is up to I haven't the slightest clue."

"Artemis? The Greek goddess that made you all Dark Hunters?" Claire asked looking back out into the mall. Artemis had paused outside of the jewelry store across the hall with her arms crossed and her foot tapping, staring at the ceiling in agitation.

Ash scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Unfortunately." He really didn't want to talk to her at the moment, but if he didn't she would only get more agitated and come into the store and mouth off in front of Noah and Claire. "I guess I better go see what she wants."

As he walked by Claire, she heard him mutter, "though I would be much happier getting my ass ran over by a truck."


	19. The Bitch Goddess

"What do you want, Artie?" Ash asked her as he came to a stop two feet away from the Greek goddess. She was wearing a slinky red dress and her curly red hair cascaded over her shoulders giving her a slight resemblance to an actor from Broadway's version of _The Lion King_.

"Acheron!" Artemis tried, and failed, to act surprised to see him there. "Whatever are you doing in a mall? Not shopping, I presume." Her eyes flickered back to the store where Claire and Noah were pretending to dust a display case and watching them a bit too obviously.

"I might go by _Hot Topic_ later and see what theyhave inthis month."

Artemis rolled her eyes. "Let's get down to business, shall we. Female Dark Hunter; you wanted her dead shade of a worthless form for yourself. I don't even want to know what you have done with it-her, and you still have not come to me yet. You promised me you would willingly come to me to repay me for my generosity."

"Artie..I will be there after I take care of some things. I am needed here right now, and we both know that you always trick me into longer stays than needed and every time that happens the Daimons have a fiesta."

Artemis feigned being hurt by his words. "Acheron, it pains me that you would think I would treat you so unjustly." She reached out a hand and cupped his cheek. Ash wanted to pull away, but then she might make a scene and he'd have to erase it from fifty or so minds.

"Was this the only reason that you came here today, Artie, to try to get me to go with you now?"

"_Maybe_ I just wanted to see you! For greatness sake, Acheron, maybe somebody actually misses you when you are away."

"Goodness sake."

"What?"

"It is 'for goodness sake.'"

Artie made a very unfeminine noise. "Whatever! Look, I don't have time for this prattle. I know you need to feed soon, and don't think I don't know what you are up to here."

His eyes shifted to Artemis' neck at the mention of feeding. She was right about that. "What am I up to, Artie?"

"First you tell me 'Oh Artie, we need another Hunter in Savannah.' So naturally I am like, 'oh we do, huh? Well who do you suggest we move there?'" Her voice started rising as she continued as her agitation flared up more. "Then you give me the most orgasms that cannot be physically possible in less than an hour of the most mind blowing sex we have ever had…"

Acheron quickly erased everyone in hearing range's memory of that statement; he really didn't want anyone knowing he had anything to do with her outside of the conventional boss-worker relationship.

Artemis was continuing on, "And then afterwards you say 'You know, perhaps Erik. We haven't placed any Vikings that far south for some time.' You knew I was too sated to think it over properly, you weasel. And now your friend the Norseman is mated to an Arcadian. If you think for one single minute that you are going to waltz right into my temple and demand that Viking's soul, you better think twice because you are asking for far too many souls recently. Do you even know what I went through with Hades to free that shade? That Great Geezer was all down my throat with accusations."

"You can't be accusing me of knowing that Erik was going to screw an Arcadian and get mated. It shouldn't have been possible at all, but it happened. If you don't like it, take it up with the Fates yourself."

"Maybe I will. And when I do, we'll see who the wise man is."

"Guy."

"Huh?"

"Wise guy."

"Whatever!"

Artemis stomped off and was gone.


	20. Weakness

_A/N I know it has been ages since I updated. I took a Creative Writing class last semester and really had no time to write for myself and this semester is equally trying. I am trying to revise all the chapters and improve them, but I am not done yet. I know there are lots of errors through out but they will be fixed eventually and though I had planned on getting that done before the new chapters were up I didn't want to make you wait any longer for an update. You shouldn't be too disappointed however, Erik's past is finally going to be revealled ;)_

* * *

"You know, it kinda makes perfect sense now." Claire was leaning on the counter beside the cash register. "The social anxiety slash I hate large groups of people that can become an angry mob and harm me… the irrational fear of being electrocuted when I plug in a vacuum. Who knew it would be common traits of dragonism." 

"Dragonism, huh?" Erik stepped into the store. He'd been there watching her for a few minutes now, but couldn't contain himself any longer. "Sounds dirty."

Claire's head snapped up with an expression that changed with lightening speed from startled to joyful, then ending with annoyance. "Oh, it's just you" was all she said and went back to the closing paper work she was ignoring moments ago.

Erik glanced to Ash and Noah for support but neither seemed willing to oblige. Noah wore an expression of badly surprised humor, and Ash…well he was either extremely bored, extremely annoyed, or he just didn't give a shit and wanted to kill something. Erik would bet money on the last option. Ending his stride directly beside Claire, who was doing a damned good job ignoring him, he purposely leaned over to whisper in her ear, brushing his thigh against hers. "Don't look too thrilled to see me."

She stiffened and her hand shook as she signed her name on the register count slip. "Oh, I won't. At least you finally showed up so that Ash can carry on without having to baby-sit me for you because you can't live through the scorching heat of big bad Mr. Sunshine."

Ash pretended to find an interest in a clock shaped like a wooden book. Erik leaned back and crossed his arms in disbelief. This was the woman that he was supposed to be mated to? The Fates hated him, that's for sure. "Well you can thank your Arcadian ancestors, the Apollites, for their ability to royally peeve Apollo. And just so you know, Apollo would tear your head off if he heard you call him Mr. Sunshine. Or so I hear… I haven't actually met many members of the Greek Pantheon, but if he is anything like his sister…I shudder to think." Ash audibly snickered near the entrance of the store where he easily reached up and pulled the gate down to keep shoppers from entering the store.

Erik could not believe how easily Claire could get him worked up. He was rambling, pretty soon she'd work his nerves until he ended up going berserk and…

"Erik? Erik! Acheron, something's wrong with Erik." Claire dropped to her knees beside him and pulled him into her lap. He remained curled into a ball for the most part, but one arm clutched her to him for dear life before a tremor violently shook through him.

Ash knelt down beside him, looked him over quickly, then laughed. Claire glared incredulously through eyes that threatened to overflow with tears. "What the hell is so funny?"

Erik didn't know if she had directed it at Acheron or himself until Ash answered. "Would you look at that. You've made him remember his past. You are aware it took me nearly a century to make him forget it on his very own?"

"So he remembered. What the fuck is he reacting too? He's trembling like he's in shock!"

Ash sighed. "An act that is so terrible that a man would sell his soul for vengeance can had its side effects. When a Dark-Hunter's surface resurfaces it makes them vulnerable, weak. Until the shock of the past wears off, Erik is going to be without his Dark-Hunter powers for a while. Shouldn't be more than a few hours, but You should go back to his house and wait it out. Nothing could be more disastrous than if you were attacked and he was not at full strength." With that, Ash reclaimed his backpack from the back room and left.

Erik seemed to be doing better, but when Claire glanced back down at him she gasped. His eyes were no longer black, but a brilliant shade of green. "Your eyes…" Was all she could say.

Erik touched his face with the hand not holding on to her. "What? What's wrong with them?"

"They're green."

"Oh… They haven't been that color since I became a Dark-Hunter. Claire leaned over and kissed him sweetly. The rest of his defenses fell in that one instant. He kissed her back, but fiercely. The mark on his hand itched as though pleading with him to join with her.

"Um… you have an audience." Noah said from the back room. Following the direction of his gaze, Erik found a group of teenage girls ogling him. When they noticed he saw them they giggled and scampered away.

"Okaaaaay. And on that note we go home. I am not one to relish in the art of voyeurism." Erik managed to keep a straight face to conceal the joy that her words filled him with. Like she already considered his home her own.

Noah followed them to the Erik's car to ensure that they made it there safely. He was going to patrol the college campus in Erik's stead until his powers returned. Claire swirled the car keys around her little finger as she said good bye to the boy. Erik caught the end of their conversation and snorted. "…If I can take him down, so can a Daimon. I'm glad Ash wanted me to take him home until he got his strength back."

Noah saw the murderous look in Erik's eyes and swallowed visably. "I'm sure he could have driven just fine. And in all fairness, you did knee him in the groin."

"On accident!"

"Ha!" Erik said to himself as Claire waved to Noah and walked around to the driver's side. She won't want to be home alone with him when they got back to his house. He was going to make her pay for that low blow, accidental or not.


	21. The Tale of a Forsaken Berserker

They made it back to Erik's with no real difficulty. Claire tried to ignore the intense stares coming from him as she drove in silence. Once inside the house, Erik plopped unceremoniously onto the couch.

She made him up some tea and handed a glass to him. As he brought the cold liquid to his lips she said, "Wouldn't it better suit you to be in your bed?"

He choked on the tea. "Well, if you consider a pile of furs a bed…unless you are offering to take me into yours…" He arched a brow at her.

A blush spread across her face. "I only meant because you were… it's impossible to make you think of something other than sex isn't it? And, technically the bed you are letting me use belongs to you therefore it is your bed."

"Well I have vengeance on my mind right now. If that suits you better."

"Vengeance? The reason you became a Dark-Hunter?"

"Well, that's there, sure. But what I meant was revenge for attacking me when I was weak and kneeing me in the balls." He casually sipped his tea. He had to admit the woman made damn good sweet tea.

"Oh, that." She refused to look at him. "Do you want to talk about it?" She said it in a near whisper some time later sitting beside him, apparently believing he would not harm her. Erik felt the grief flood through his veins yet again, remembering the last time a woman believed he would never harm her.

Claire thought he wasn't going to answer her at all when he spoke. "I was three and twenty at the time, next in line for the jarldom, and a renown warrior. A Berserker." He gazed at the wall as though seeing his past as clearly as any painting or photograph.

"In the heat of battle I became the battle. I felt nothing, saw nothing, heard nothing. I was a death dealer, and from my hands anything living met with a certain death and I would not know it truly until the blood lust left me and I was once again aware. Men feared me. Some of my own kin feared me. But most importantly, the enemies I faced feared me so much that sometimes they would be cowardly and retreat, but that was rare. Many feared death, but longed for glory more and would welcome the chance to see Valhalla when I delivered them of the mortal coil."

Erik shifted and drained the contents of the glass before continuing. "Until I sheathed my sword, I was fury in itself. Fathers feared for their daughters not for their purity but for their lives. They all believed if I took a wife and she were to anger me I would go into a blind rage and kill her. The widows and thralls would welcome me to their beds, but never invited me to stay after the act was through. I became immune to the idea that I would forever be a bachelor, and even began to believe I'd kill a wife by accident myself."

The world seemed to fall away and Claire could almost see the events as they happened, as his story continued…

Erik was going to the lake by his home to wash the dirt off after a hard day of training with the other warriors, and that was when he saw her. A woman with fiery red hair that came down to her waist in waves that would make an erupting volcano tremble with envy. Her skin was porcelain white, not a single mark on it. She was bathing already and before he could think to stop himself, he approached her. She was humming a little tune and didn't see him coming until his hand fell on her bared shoulder. She spun around, screamed, and tried to flee. Erik pulled her against him and soothed her with reassurances that I wouldn't harm her. The bared chest was pressed against his own, and if he hadn't been half dressed still….

Her eyes were liquid gold, and when she looked into his eyes Erik thought to himself, "this is love, then."

She smiled at him, secretively, before she spoke in a voice that could only be compared to the sound of a gentle stream of water flowing over rocks to a smaller pool beneath. She told him that he had caught her fairly, and she would grant him whatever I asked of her. Blinded as he was by her beauty, he asked her to marry him that night. She consented, offering her name as Aud.

The villagers were curious when Erik announced the marriage upon returning with a beautiful woman, but his mother was thrilled to see his son finally taking a bride. His father, Thorvald, arranged everything with no question. The whole village came to the ceremony.

Erik was summoned from his new wife's bridal chamber early the next morning. Raiders had come to challenge them for livestock and other goods to get them through the rough Norwegian winter. Erik promised Aud that he would return soon.

"But I do not want you to go, Erik." Aud pleaded, attempted to pull him back into bed.

"I must. I will be jarl soon, and I must prove I am worthy of the title." Erik pulled on his helmet and strapped on his sword belt.

"There is something I must tell you, first." Aud sounded completely miserable.

"It can wait a few hours, I will return to you." Erik left the hut with only a mere glimpse back.

Erik's most trusted friend, Theorn, was not pleased with Erik's happy marriage. As his cousin he was in line for the jarldom himself after Erik should he die with no heirs. Having a wife meant he would undoubtedly father a son, and that could not happen. Theorn doubled back to the camp while the battle waged on the field near the village. Quietly he snuck into the keep where Erik's mother and sister were still in bed sleeping. He slaughtered them brutally before making his way to Erik's hut and the awaiting Aud.

Thinking it was Erik, returning from the battle Aud rushed to greet him only to fall short when seeing who it was.

"You?" she asked, surprised.

"Yes. Me. Erik's sister just fell ill, I need you to go find him and bring him back. He will be really upset if no one tells him before he returns."

"But, he.."

"Don't argue." Theorn held a hand up in protest. "There is no time for it. Erik is a good friend of mine, and as his wife you should be glad to fetch him for something that would be important for him."

Aud made to rush past him. "You can't go into the heart of battle wearing that!"

Aud glimpsed down at the woolen robe she wore. "What would I wear then? I am new here and I don't have any clothing."

"You will dress in Erik's clothing and tie your hair back as a man would. If the enemy sees a woman they will stop at no means to rape you or ransom you."

Aud consented, as Theorn made perfect sense. "Aye. I will do so."

"Good." Theorn said. I must head back to the keep with the family.

Erik was in his Berserker state when she made it past his kinsmen and into the path of his sword. Nobody recognized her as a woman, but thought she one of the warriors. When Aud came from behind him, placing her hand on his shoulder, Erik turned and sliced her from shoulder to hip and did not even realize he had done it until he didn't find her at home.

Erik called her name, but no one was in their hut. When he turned to leave, to look for her, another woman showed up. A woman with long golden hair, braided down her back, and garbed in robes the color of pearls.

"Who in the name of Hela are you?" Erik asked, stopping abruptly.

"You do not know me?" She laughed. "I am Freya."

"The godess?"

"No. the tree. Yes, the goddess. But I am here now because you have slain my Valkyrie."

"I did what?"

"Aud. She was a Valkyrie. You captured her, therefore you were able to enslave her and then you abused her by slicing her pretty body in two. Is that how you repay the gods for granting you with such a beautiful wife?"

"Dead? She's dead?" Erik felt his heart grow leaden with cold fear. Did he fulfill the prophecy everyone had predicted upon him. Did he kill his own wife?

"Yes, you daft idiot, didn't I just say that." Freya rolled her eyes. "Now, I have jewelry to steal from the dwarfs and brides to make beautiful, and all that routine nonsense, so let's get this over with."

"What?"

"Erik Thorvaldsson, I curse you for the slaughter of a Valkyrie. Though a great, noble fighter you may be, you shall never see the walls of Valhalla. To Niflheim you shall reside eternally, and Hela have mercy on your soul for she's in a right temper lately. Something about the Gods of Asgard calling her a frigid bitch or something. It's not our fault that Hel is a frozen, frigid, waste land and it does nothing for her attitude." With that she vanished.

Erik was torn between despair and disbelief. He didn't notice the torch light of the approaching mob until it was too late. He was consumed by grief by the time they came in to drag him out. He was kicked down into a kneeling position at the feet of the Jarl, his father. He scarcely heard his father list the charges of murdering his wife, his mother, and sister in cold blood. Shaking his head in disappointment, and glaring in rage he kicked dirt in Erik's face and spit on him. He walked away leaving Erik to the mercy of the villager's anger. The last thing he remembered seeing before his eyes were cut out was Theorn's laughing face from the back of the crowd.

The brutality of accusations and soon to be murder tore through him. The cry of rage he let out before they slit his throat drew Artemis to him.

He heard her voice in the darkness, soothing and welcoming. "Erik," she said, "Your gods have forsaken you. They are barbarous and weak. I can free you from the fate they cursed you to and give you the one thing they could never give you."

"And what's that."

"Revenge. Theorn killed your family. He sent Aud into battle knowing you would not recognize her in time to prevent the tragedy that occurred. I will let you take revenge, and all you have to do is give your soul to me."

"My soul?"

"You're dead already Erik, you don't need it anymore. You aren't allowed into Asgard, into Valhalla, but I can give you immortality. Would you fight eternally for me like you would for Odin? All for the simple price of your soul…you will be allowed vengeance, did I mention that?"

The anger, grief, and helplessness washed over him. He agreed without further thought. But when he was allowed his vengeance, Theorn was no where to be found and Acheron came to him instead to train him as a Dark-Hunter.


	22. Things Become More Complicated

A/N: Sorry it took so long for a new chapter. I had a small crisis of my own and because of that the story had to be put off. again. Hope to have more soon :)

* * *

"Erik..."

"Don't." Erik shoved Claire away from him more roughly than he had intended. "Don't try to tell me it wasn't my fault or that it couldn't have been helped. It was my fault, and I couldn't even avenge them. I have failed them all and they are dead while I live on eternally, and I should be the one who is dead!"

"You're being too harsh on yourself." Claire crossed her arms and glared at him.

"I am, am I? I sell my soul to a supposed goddess of a culture I don't belong to and in turn get royally screwed over. Am I supposed to be grateful?"

"Yes! Yes, Erik you should be grateful!" Claire hadn't meant to shout at him, but the man infuriated her. She stood up and glared up into his face. "Because if you weren't alive now, I wouldn't have this."

She held her palm upward in his face, the mark that claimed her as his mate and no one else's marred her otherwise perfectly smooth skin.

"I'm sorry I did that to you."

"You're sorry? Sorry! You don't care?!"

"How are we supposed to be mated when I am not even allowed to have a girlfriend, let alone a wife! You're being hunted down, who knows I may be hunted down by a Spathi demigod like Kyrian was. We would only be each other's weaknesses."

Claire met Erik's glare with an equal amount of stubbornness. "That is what a relationship is to you? A weakness? Well, let me tell you something Mr. I-was-once-married. A relationship is built upon sacrifice. Feelings for another may be a weakness in your happy little self-righteous pride fortress within you, but everyone needs to have a weak point. That is why you form relationships with some one to fill in that weak point and make it strong. So your weakness cost you everything in your first lifetime, why not take what you learned and keep a mental note not to let history repeat itself. I know I damn sure would never walk into a battle to tap you on the shoulder, furthermore I personally would not have dressed in men's clothes and done what Theorn had asked… Unless Acheron told me to do it, because something tells me that everything he says has some deep meaning to it."

Erik snorted. "You would do anything Ash told you to do, huh? Are you trying to make me jealous?"

Claire couldn't hide her grin. "Just a little. Did it work?"

"Maybe." Erik ran his fingers through his hair and groaned. "You're manipulative, did you know that. You don't think Artemis and Acheron are going to let us be mates do you?"

"Well," Claire said flatly, "Acheron was there when we first saw our marks, and just an hour ago he sent us off together where we could easily mate undisturbed if we chose to. I think he is playing on our team."

Erik tried not to notice the hitch in her voice and the way her gaze traveled the length of him as she uttered those words. "Okay so maybe Ash is being rebellious. Who's to stop Artemis from opening a can of whoop ass on all of us for breaking her rules?"

"Pah-lease. I am a dragon, right? I'll just breathe fire on her and turn her into barbeque."

Jeez, her and Simi could be kin. "I think you have a bit of Loki in you," Erik teased.

"You have _no_ idea."

Claire turned around with a gasp at the masculine voice that came from somewhere behind her. It was whimsical but rough at the same time, like a stream of water rippling over river rocks. The man standing there wore black leather pants over biker boots and a gold arm ring decorated in runes on his right arm. That pretty much completed his wardrobe, minus what he wore under the pants which Claire would bet money on was nothing. She tried to tear her eyes away from the bronzed, sinewy chest that begged to be touched. She didn't feel desire for the man himself, but there was a compulsion in the air that made her want to touch him. It was strange.

The man had light blond hair that brushed his shoulder blades fell into a pair of eyes that were too blue to be described in Crayola terms. Those eyes twinkled with the promise of mischief all the while containing a fierceness that spoke of unlimited power. From his eyes alone it could be assumed he would kick anyone's ass that dared to offend him just by looking at him the wrong way. Oh yeah, if she didn't know any better Claire would say this man was a god. She looked back at Erik to see he had gone completely still with an expression that mixed shock, recognition, and outrage.

Erik couldn't believe his eyes. Theorn was casually standing in his house like he owned it, and had the presence of a god. It was impossible because in his human life, Erik never felt this power from Theorn. He'd been human, but then again Erik had been as well.

Theorn looked amused. "Oh don't look so alarmed, I am not staying for long. Nor am I here to kill you…yet. Close your mouth Erik, you'll swallow a fly."

As though to prove a point a fly appeared out of nowhere and Erik snapped his mouth shut before it could reach its destination. Theorn laughed.

"What do you want Theorn? You had better have a good reason because I am ten seconds from…"

"Getting a god blast so grand you'll feel it for a year?" Theorn asked hopefully.

"Um… intermission from the one who missed something…" Claire interjected. "Did Erik just call you Theorn?"

Theorn smiled a dazzling, perfectly white smile. "Aye, he did. Would you like to know why?"

His tone was mocking, but Claire couldn't stop herself, "Yeah."

Theorn sighed. "Okay, here is the abridged version. Once upon a time the god Loki was bored out of his fucking mind. He saw a battle going on with some Vikings and said 'hey, let's play with the pesky mortals.' One group had an unfair advantage, a berserker of their very own. Sooo Loki did a few mind corrections and joined their side as the bestest buddy of the berserker named Erik."

"You're Loki?" Claire asked, glancing at Erik who still couldn't seem to get over his shock. Smooth. Her trust in the protection of Dark-Hunters was wavering slightly, but not much. Claire knew once he snapped out of the mind trip into memory lane that Erik would be fierce and commanding once more.

"The one and only." Loki continued, "anyway, I had just gotten myself situated into my role as Theorn, disguising my god powers so that no one would some how recognize me for who I really was. I was plotting with ways to make Erik miserable when low and behold the man actually caught himself a Valkyrie, which was not my doing, and the mischief afterwards you already know because I listened." He winked at Claire and Erik leapt to his feet.

"Oh sit down, berserker. You can't do anything to me and besides, your powers are gone remember. You are nothing but a human at the moment."

"I swore to kill you. Artemis granted me the right when I bargained my soul."

"Uh, wrong Pantheon, bub. Artemis is Greek. We're Norse. Greek gods hold no precedent over the Norse gods. Artemis tricked you because she is a selfish bitch, and further more if you were to somehow find an impossible method to kill me it would upset the balance of the universe because, hello, prophecies of the end of the world have me in it. I cannot die until I fulfill them, so therefore I live and you suffer."

"Another question from the confused one." Claire asked, ignoring Loki's snort. "I thought the Norse gods _could_ be killed because they only live a really long time but were not true immortals."

"Pffft. We are immortal just like all the other gods, we just have stupid predestined deaths which suck ass. Do you know how annoying it is when about ninty percent of the gods know who is going to kill them and how. Makes Asgard get-togethers really interesting."

Erik shifted himself nonchalantly until he had placed himself between Loki and Claire. "Cut the crap Theorn…" he gritted his teeth, "Loki. Why don't you tell us why you are here."

"Well if I just told you why than it would take the fun out of it, and it would annoy you far more if I just taunted you without spilling the beans."

"How's your little succubus doing, Loki? Treating Wulf's soul well?"

"Oh, that's real mature." Loki rolled his eyes.

"About as mature as stealing some guys soul because being a Dark-Huntress was too much for her?"

Loki's eyes flashed red. "Artemis was eyeing Morginnebecause of her relationship with me, and if I didn't tell her how to steal that worthless man's soul she would have died."

"Okay and so knowing that fear you would have Claire die just because of her relationship with me?" Erik arched a brow.

Loki burst out laughing. "Now you insult me! Fear? I know no fear Dark-Hunter, I am a god. The harbinger of Ragnarok. I wasn't done with her yet is all."

"Are you still together?" Claire asked moving to stand beside Erik who was trying keep her behind him.

Loki eyed her with contempt, but just briefly his lips twitched upward. "Not that it matters, but yes."

"Oh." Claire said thoughtfully. "Still together after all these centuries, huh. But you don't love her?"

"Would I shock you out of prying if I told you she is just a really good time in bed?"

"No, because I would know you are lying."

"That's too bad then. For now, when I kill you the thought passing through your mind will be about what a heartless SOB I really am." With that he vanished.

Erik cursed. "You just _had_ to mock him didn't you?"


	23. Possession

"Still awake?" Acheron asked when he entered Erik's living room to find Claire and Erik on opposite ends of the couch watching a _Buffy the Vampire Slayer _rerun.

Erik arched a brow at him. "What? Expected to walk in and go blind from the naked, barbaric Viking sex?"

Ash's lips twitched in amusement. "Maybe. Didn't claim each other as mates I see."

"You say that as though it was a bad thing." Claire studied Acheron with new interest. "You sent us here to mate didn't you? Don't lie, fess up."

"And why would you two having a sexathon interest me?"

"I dunno, Ash, you are kinda freaky." Erik said with a grin. "Besides, old acquaintances arriving unexpectedly revealing themselves as a god is kind of a mood killer. I don't know about you, but when someone you at one time trusted in friendship is something completely different than they made themselves out to be, the treachery in that overrides any happiness at the moment."

A haunted look passed briefly over Acheron's face, but he shrugged it off and headed for the stairs. "Loki?"

"You knew?" Erik growled regaining his feet.

Ash sighed. "That he was Theorn, yes. That he was here, no. We couldn't let you seek vengeance on a god, especially not of another pantheon which would cause a huge war between the Norse and Greeks. Artemis thought it was better that you didn't know it was Loki. And for once in a long span of lifetimes, I agreed with her. Knowing a god had betrayed you out of boredom would only leave you hateful and seeking vengeance that was unattainable. Greek gods will not allow you to live in their presence, but the Norse could care less. Loki being here only means he is up to no good and that he revealed himself to screw with your mind in order to make you loose your focus. He wants you to seek vengeance on him and let your guard down around Claire."

Ash rubbed his temple methodically. "We will discuss this further in a few hours, but for now I'm going to try to catch a few moments of rest. Granted as soon as I close my eyes and get comfortable my cellphone will undoubtedly ring, but who am I to complain?" No sooner than Ash had disappeared up the stairs did the song "Vampires" by Godsmack start up. A muffled curse resounded through the stairwell followed by an agitated, "If you even think about sending your squire after the Daimons into that bolthole I will come and kill you myself. He irritates you daily, why complain about it to me; I don't assign them to you…"

Erik tried not to laugh and failed. Claire glared at him. "Poor Ash, ever unappreciated."

"Unappreciated my ass." Noah said in the doorway. "He left me on Simi watching duty for a few hours earlier and I tripped and bumped into her. Did you know she carries and extra large bottle of barbeque sauce in that little purse of hers? It's just not right. Luckily Ash decided to show up and collect her about that time and my life was spared from being barbeque. I am going to sleep as well."

Erik watched Noah disappear from site. Dawn was approaching fast, he could feel the little tingle that let him know. "Alone again, what a surprise."

"I want to."

"What?" Erik stared at her like she'd lost her mind. "What are you going on about?" In the pit of his stomach he knew, he just hoped he had heard wrong.

"I want to mate with you." She was beet red, staring at the floor by her feet, arms folded over her chest as though shielding herself from the inevitable she was asking for with that statement.

"Do you fully understand the consequences of that action? You would be putting yourself into even more danger than you already were."

"Actually," Claire began, looking up, " I wouldn't be. I am going to be targeted by Loki either way, but if what I understood is correct, the Slayers will cease to come after me if I am mated fully. Right now they are seeking a potential mate for their own families."

Erik tried to think of a way to talk her out of it, the trouble was she was deadly astute and the lower region of his abdomen was protesting his brain's functioning at the moment. "But…"

"Don't 'but' me!" Claire said, glaring daggers at him. We might as well make the best of the situation and create some good memories. If we do end up dying, I want to have good moments to cling to before drawing my last breath."

"Now see here!" Erik grabbed her shoulders and pulled her up to stand before him. "You will not speak about dying! I am not going to let you die, do you understand me?"

"I want to, it just seems so… the odds are…"

"Horrible yes, but impossible, no. We have Acheron Parthenopaeus on our side and if what I believe is correct Savitar will step in if there is any devastating effect to occur do to the activity of a Were. If killing you brings any great doom at hand, Savitar will step in. But I am not going to let any other Were touch you, any Daimon take a bite out of you, and Loki, so help me, is not going to ever claim you as his victim."

Claire's heart was heavy from the emotion in his voice, the way it pleaded for her to believe he could keep her safe. She needed him to keep her safe. Pulling his head down to hers, she chastely kissed his lips. He reacted savagely, pillaging her mouth with the emotion she had brought out of him. He pushed her a way momentarily and slung her over his shoulder before taking the stairs two at a time. She had to admit his ass was very finely shaped at this angle.

Instead of entering his bedroom, he took her inside of the spare room he had given her and locked the door. He ripped her clothes off, not caring that they were now beyond repair and pulled down the sheets and placed her in the middle of the burgundy silk. His hungry gaze scorched her and yet she wasn't embarrassed. "Erik…"

His name on her lips, pleading with him to join her, shattered the last of his composure. With a deep groan he was on top of her, her hands working the fly of his pants and shoving them down his legs. He kicked them off and she ripped his shirt in the same fashion he had hers and disposed of it by flinging it across the room. Her smooth legs wrapped around his as he lapped at her breasts as those she would melt away any second.

"I need to take you now," he breathed against her neck. "I talked to an Arcadian wolf I am on good terms with. Vane told me the words we must say." He flipped her over so that she sat above him, looking a little shocked a the position change, but just as eager as ever. He held out his marked palm, the scroll upon his hand glowed strangely. Instinctively she knew to take his marked palm with hers and their fingers entwined.

"You have to take me into your body as proof that you truly accept me as your mate." She did so deliberately slow, Erik assumed, just to torment him.

They said the sacred words to each other, slowly grinding against each other until the fangs that came out to finish the bonding ceremony subsided. Claire wanted to wait to see that they made it through so that if she died he wouldn't have to. Erik felt a livid need to prove himself to her, to get these awful thoughts out of her head. He rolled them over, pounding into her furiously. He felt her orgasm erupt beneath him and laughed at how easily he could conquer her, but refused to be finished with her at that. He kept going, faster and faster. She screamed out in bliss as she shattered again in his hands, the tremors wouldn't let him escape any longer and he spent himself into her with a triumphant groan.

"You're mine, elskilng," his native accent becoming more pronounced with emotion, "no harm will befall ye while I am around." She had already fallen into a deep sleep, clutching him too her as though she would never let him go. He was happy to oblige her, as he never wanted to let her.


End file.
